R&D Director

Reports to: Deputy CEO

About the Role

We are looking for a strategic, results-driven R&D Director to lead our innovation, product development, and optimization agenda in a highly dynamic FMCG environment.

Sitting at the core of our growth strategy, this role merges premium coffee expertise with innovation and operational excellence. You will own the end-to-end R&D pipeline, from early concept through to industrialization, ensuring our solutions are consumer relevant, scalable, and commercially viable.

Beyond core product development, you will drive our expansion into broader beverage categories, designing total customer solutions. This includes integrating products, equipment compatibility, and preparation systems into scalable offerings across HORECA and retail channels. As a strategic leader, you will connect Marketing, Commercial, Operations, and Finance to ensure innovation is insight-led and delivers measurable business impact.

Key Responsibilities

Innovation & Portfolio Strategy

• Define and execute the R&D and innovation roadmap aligned with business and brand priorities
• Build and manage a balanced innovation pipeline (core renovation, adjacent expansion, disruptive innovation)
• Translate consumer insights and market trends into clear product concepts and technical roadmaps
• Continuously assess competitive landscape, ingredients, technologies, and packaging developments

End-to-End Product Development

• Lead Stage-Gate projects with clear governance, milestones, and decision-making discipline
• Oversee the full lifecycle:
• Concept feasibility & risk assessment
• Formulation and optimization
• Prototyping and pilot trials
• Industrial trials and scale-up
• Final specifications and launch readiness
• Ensure alignment on sensory targets, cost parameters, manufacturability, and performance KPIs

Technical Excellence & Validation

• Drive formulation excellence through structured experimentation (lab → pilot → industrial)
• Lead sensory strategy and validation, ensuring consistency and consumer acceptance
• Establish and maintain robust product specifications, SOPs, and testing protocols

Raw Materials, Packaging & Sustainability

• Lead qualification and approval of raw materials and packaging solutions
• Ensure alignment on quality, availability, cost efficiency, and sustainability targets
• Partner cross-functionally to mitigate supply risks and explore alternative sourcing strategies

Quality, Compliance & Regulatory

• Ensure all products meet food safety regulations, labeling requirements, and claim substantiation
• Partner with QA/QC on:
• Microbiological and chemical specifications
• Shelf-life and stability validation
• Packaging compliance
• Support certifications (e.g., sustainability, organic, etc.)

Industrialization & Operations Integration

• Lead scale-up and industrialization, ensuring seamless transition from pilot to production
• Work closely with Production to manage:
• Line trials and process validation
• Equipment constraints and upgrades
• Yield optimization and efficiency improvements
• Root-cause analysis and technical troubleshooting

Financial Ownership & Value Creation

• Own the R&D budget and resource allocation
• Lead cost optimization and value engineering initiatives
• Partner with Finance to build business cases, cost models, and profitability assessments

Continuous Improvement & Optimization

• Drive ongoing optimization of products and processes to ensure consistent top-quality output aligned with specifications
• Improve efficiency, quality consistency, and cost performance without compromising the consumer experience

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing R&D team
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning
• Act as a key strategic partner to Marketing, Sales, Operations, Quality, and Finance
• Manage external collaborations (labs, suppliers, universities)

What Success Looks Like (KPIs)

• Speed & efficiency of time-to-market
• On-time delivery of Stage-Gate projects
• New product success rate (launch → scale)
• Strong sensory and quality performance
• Measurable cost optimization and margin impact
• Effective budget and resource management

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive R&D experience within the FMCG / Food & Beverage sector, with a proven track record in leadership roles.
• BSc/MSc in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Deep knowledge of formulation, industrialization, quality systems, and regulatory frameworks. Strong experience managing Stage-Gate processes.
• Ability to link technical execution with financial performance and market needs.
• A highly collaborative leader who combines strategic thinking with technical depth and the ability to influence cross-functional teams.

Benefits

• A high-impact leadership role at the center of business growth.
• The opportunity to shape the future of total beverage solutions beyond coffee.
• A fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment within a leading market player.
• Exposure to international brands, advanced product development, and strategic partnerships.

• The chance to build and shape a best-in-class R&D function