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Job Purpose and Impact

In this role, you will ensure that projects are delivered within agreed timelines and budgets by translating customer and market needs and manufacturing process improvement opportunities into innovative products and process solutions.

Regional Product and Process Development (“PPD”) Director will lead a group of Cocoa and Chocolate product and process developers and technologies that run pilot plants in the region.  You are a member of the regional Food RD leadership team, and extended leadership team on Cargill’s global Food Innovation’s Cocoa & Chocolate Segment Team.

Key Accountabilities

•    Create clarity in vision, role and annual plan for the regional PPD team on achieving business ambition, develop way of working, and build mindset that align with business operating model, and evaluate process and capabilities to ensure team’s effectiveness.
•    Responsible for successful completion of customer projects in innovation pipeline within agreed time frames and budgets as defined in annual business plan and improve process whenever needed to ensure speed and customer understanding.
•    Develop Near-in to long term innovation opportunities with customer needs and market insights, and work across R&D (regional category and global Food Innovation) and business functions to align on priorities and investment in a strong innovation pipeline in the region 
•    Responsible for providing technology advice to Operations to continuously improve existing portfolio, and support the team to identify and execute HPI priorities  of the product segment to improve margin and technology.  
•    Participate in strategic workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, organizational development in regional R&D’s talent process, communicate and engage team with clarity in R&D ownership in business development.
•    Develop value proposition of existing product portfolio for R&D and with GTM and category, and monitor competitive environment for intellectual property for product line innovation. 
•    Part of the global Food Innovation Team extended leadership team and responsible for connecting and leveraging global capabilities to accelerate the development of new cocoa products and advance in chocolate category development 
•    Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in food science & technology or chemical engineering fields
• Demonstrated effective team management and technology development skills
• Other minimum qualifications may apply

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree or higher in food Science and technology

• Minimum of 12 years of food ingredient processing, esp. in cocoa and or chocolate industry

• At least 6 years of people management experience

PRIOR BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCES

• Experience in partnering with business leaders and customers to identify innovation opportunities using emerging technologies as well as to cultivate insights into areas for future business growth.
• Experience in building and fostering strong functional working relationships, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to influence investment decisions, and to accelerate the regional business development by leveraging Cargill’s global Food innovation’s capability and portfolio

KEY BEHVIORS

• Anticipates and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Makes sense of complexity and dynamic development in business environment to effectively solve problems and coach the team

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES TO BE GAINED

• Experience providing business leadership and advisory on how to execute the innovation portfolio choices and product line architecture