Research and Development Manager

Job Description

**Functional Area**
- R&D

**Job Location**
- CHL - Santiago

**Country/Region**
- Chile

**Who are you?**
- Professionals

**Permanent/Temporary**
- Permanent

**Working time**
- Full Time

**Req ID**
- 32998

Information at a Glance

**Do you have the appetite to Grow Your Magic?**
Consumers everywhere are increasingly conscious of the quality of the food they eat. Puratos develops, produces, and distributes a unique range of ingredients for bakers, pastry-chefs and chocolatiers who demand the very highest quality.
Founded in Belgium in 1919, Puratos is growing rapidly with over 10,000 employees in 80+ countries, with a consolidated turnover of over €3 billion in 2023. Our passion for innovation, pioneering spirit and core values continue to propel our global ambitions. This, coupled with our commitment to our communities, is what makes working at Puratos so magical.

**Position Overview**
Based at our Chile Office, in order to further strengthen our R&D team we are currently seeking a Research & Development Manager who will be responsible for Puratos Chile R&D operation, and management.

**R&D Manager**Chile**
As a member of the management team of the country, the R&D Manager will lead and grow the R&D team and activities of the company, considering both Group and local requirements.

In close collaboration with customers and internal teams, he/she will develop Puratos as the partner in Food Innovation for Good in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate market in order to achieve the company’s objectives and outpace the market. Anticipates the changing corporate and global landscape from an R&D point of view and builds a robust R&D system and approach to prepare team accordingly.

**Key Accountabilities**
- Manage, coach and develop the R&D team. Ensure an effective and efficient operation of the team in high performance collaboration with other business areas.
- Develop or co-ordinate the implementation of Group and local innovations as well as product adaptations for all focus customers and customer segments, based on market trends and/or specific customer demands.
- Ensure both pro-actively and reactively technical support to the customers by investing time with them, with the appropriate channel language, to understand their needs in order to guide the implementation of Puratos solution/innovations for them to succeed with their business.
- Support the Innovation Center team to assure excellence in the execution of Customer Technical support strategy delivering best in class customer events, trainings, seminars and presentations in order to show up all Puratos capabilities and technical knowledge.
- Act as Business development together with Marketing and Sales teams by designing suitable business initiatives to rollout Bakery, Patisserie and Chocolate SBU strategies and tackle local market opportunities.
- Partner with Marketing team to drive the innovation agenda and fulfil the innovation pipeline as well as the renovation of product portfolio according to the product life cycle management.
- Develop a continuous dialogue with Regional R&D and country R&D teams in the context of project/priority management and best practice exchange.
- Manage the R&D cost budget as well as the government tax subsidy if appropriate.
- Ensure confidentiality of formulas and protection of know-how respecting the Group golden rules of Know-how protection.
- Provide support to the Quality team on the customer complaint management process.
- Ensure the accurate and complete technical documentation of our products. Ensure that all products have complete and correct technical data sheet.
- Manage all aspects of legal requirements related to ingredients, labeling and formulation for imports, exports and local products.
- Look for new alternatives of raw materials to improve the quality, cost and features of the products.
- Ensure Product and Process documentation and best practices to deliver product superiority under cost constraints and best available technology.
- Participate on the recommendation of CAPEX investment, together with the Engineering team, to install new technologies or to upgrade equipment, increase capacity or efficiency from the plants, pilot plants, innovation center and labs, in order to support the business continuous improvement strategy.
- Be an active member of the South and Central America Markets R&D community.

**Profile**
- Academic background: University degree in food science or equivalent
- Preference, not mandatory: Recognized experience in new product development/applied R&D in the international food industry.
- Proven Experience in food related companies, preferably in the bakery and confectionery business.
- Experience with the food law and import procedures.
- Proficient in business English.
- Relevant people leadership experience

**Required Competencies, Skills and Abilities**
- Advanced planning, organization & project management skills.
- Advanced analytical and drive f