Cocoa Beans R&D Director
Location:
Lebbeke-Wieze, BE, 9280
At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!
About the role
The Cocoa Beans R&D Director drives the Cocoa Research and Development program for Barry Callebaut, according to the long-term strategy and to the policy defined by the Cocoa Sourcing team. This role works in close collaboration with the Cocoa Sourcing team to ensure bean flexibility that meets recipe specifications and long-term customer requirements. The Director prioritizes projects based on business needs and ensures their scalability across the globe. He/She leads a team of scientists, project managers, covering both operational activities and research programs, and builds up a talent pool across their team, developing future capabilities and fostering an innovation culture.
The Cocoa Beans R&D Director builds and deepens expertise in cocoa origins, fermentation and drying processes, cocoa science, bean blends, and their impact on sensory. He/She partners with Sourcing, QA and Supply Chain to solve specific QA issues. The role also oversees the exploration and implementation of new technologies related to cocoa ingredient production, such as cocoa cell cultures. In addition, the Director works closely with the Cocoa Innovation Director and other members of the Cocoa and Chocolate Product Innovation team to drive integrated innovation efforts.
Key Responsibilities include
1. Drive fundamental research on Cocoa beans
2. Develop and maintain expertise on cocoa fermentation technologies (including strains - reactors)
3. Develop and manage flexible beans blend platform
4. Develop a global ecosystem of innovation partners across the globe: Universities, Start Ups, innovation platform
5. Develop and maintain expertise on new technologies e.g cocoa cell culture
6. Work closely with the QA and Sourcing team to mitigate risks related to molds, contaminants and heavy metals
7. Design bean specifications for product quality, consistency and regulatory compliance
8. Projects OTIF
9. Build and develop a talent pool across the team to develop future capabilities
10. Foster an innovation culture
11. Build up strategic partnerships
12. Expand Barry Callebaut innovation system
About you
13. Technical/Scientific Masters Degree in Food Science or Food Technology
14. 10+ years of relevant R&D working experience in commercial environment and +/- 5 years of experience leading a team
15. Professional experience in cocoa producing countries as well as knowledge in cocoa agriculture and cocoa fermentation is a plus
16. Excellent knowledge of business software (Office, Salesforce, SAP, etc.)
17. Strong understanding of cost management and continuous improvement programs
18. Strategic mindset with the ability to think critically and make data-driven decisions
19. Global mindset with experience in leveraging knowledge and best practices across regions
20. Excellent team management and leadership skills
21. Previous experience in complex project management
22. Fluent in knowledge English
23. Respect for business ethics and leading by example
24. Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire teams in a multicultural environment
25. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate with stakeholders on a a global scale
26. Highly organized with strong attention to detail