Senior Product Development Technologist

Danone; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Hybrid working

Thank Danone it’s Friday! 3pm finishes

Health and Life insurance

26 weeks gender-neutral paid parental?

Employee Share Subscription Plan

Performance-related incentives and 1:1

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Job summary

Danone ANZ seeks a Senior Product Development Technologist to join the DSDA R&I team, based in Melbourne or at the Kiewa factory. You will lead end‑to‑end dairy product development, renovate existing products and drive productivity initiatives on a 12‑month parental leave contract.

You’ll guide concept to launch, partnering with Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and Marketing to deliver consumer‑centred, commercially viable solutions with robust documentation and cross‑functional

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Food Science, Dairy Science, Life Science, Human Nutrition, or related field.
• 5+ years’ experience in a similar dairy industry role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning, organisation and prioritisation abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and robust documentation.
• High level of accountability and ownership of outcomes.
• Demonstrated autonomy and ability to progress work with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical product development and factory implementation projects across innovation and compliance.
• Plan, execute and evaluate pilot and industrial trials with scale‑up and readiness.
• Manage R&I activities across the full project lifecycle from concept to launch.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and Marketing to deliver viable solutions.
• Ensure robust documentation, traceability and knowledge transfer across projects.
• Drive investigations, root cause analysis and risk assessments for product/manufacturing issues.
• Identify and implement new ingredients, technologies and supplier partnerships to grow R&I capability.

Job description

About The Job

Are you seeking an innovative role in product development within the dairy sector?

We are hiring a Senior Product Development Technologist to join our DSDA Research & Innovation team, based at either our Kiewa factory or Melbourne office. This key role will drive end‑to‑end product innovation and support our long‑term NPD strategy on a 12-month parental leave cover contract.

In this position, you’ll report directly to the R&I & Sustainability Manager and take ownership of developing new products, renovating existing ones, and delivering productivity initiatives that directly support business growth.

You’ll work hands‑on across the full development lifecycle; from concept, formulation and trials, through to validation, packaging development and launch ensuring every product meets our technical, commercial and quality expectations.

Your responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Lead technical product development and factory implementation projects across innovation, compliance and business continuity initiatives.
• Plan, execute and evaluate pilot and industrial trials, ensuring successful scale‑up and manufacturing readiness.
• Manage R&I activities across the full project lifecycle, from concept development through validation and launch.
• Partner closely with Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and Marketing to deliver robust, consumer‑centric and commercially viable solutions.
• Ensure robust documentation, traceability and knowledge transfer across projects.
• Drive technical investigations, root cause analysis and risk assessments to resolve product and manufacturing challenges.
• Identify, evaluate and implement new ingredients, technologies and supplier partnerships to strengthen R&I capability and unlock future growth opportunities.

About You

You are an experienced Product Development Technologist with deep technical expertise in dairy science and a proven ability to lead complex development programs from concept to commercialisation. You bring a strong blend of scientific rigour, strategic thinking, and operational execution, with the confidence to influence stakeholders across technical, quality, operations, and marketing functions.

You thrive in dynamic, fast‑paced manufacturing environments and apply an agile, solutions‑oriented mindset to drive projects forward. Your leadership style is collaborative and grounded in strong interpersonal skills. You build trust quickly, communicate clearly, and create alignment even when navigating complexity.

To be successful you must have:

• A tertiary qualification in Food Science, Dairy Science, Life Science, Human Nutrition, or a related field
• 5+ years’ experience in a similar dairy industry role (highly desirable)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong planning, organisation, and prioritisation abilities, with confidence managing evolving priorities
• Strong attention to detail, ensuring robust technical evaluations, accurate documentation and high‑quality project execution.
• A high level of accountability, taking ownership of technical outcomes and project delivery
• Demonstrated autonomy and drive, with the ability to progress work proactively and maintain momentum without close supervision

About Us

We truly value our Danonersand strive to make their experience exceptional by creating a positive and fulfilling environment for everyone. Our unique benefits are designed to enhance the lives and provide genuine value.

• A high-performing, collaborative team culture
• Flexible Hybrid working
• Thank Danone it’s Friday! 3pm finishes every Friday
• Diverse and inclusive work environment
• Personalised learning opportunities to set you up for success

• Competitive Total Reward package including

• • Health and Life insurance benefit
  • 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave
  • Employee Share Subscription Plan after 12 months of service
  • Performance-related incentives and annual reviews

More about Us:

At Danone, we aim to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with our Vision - Danone, One Planet. One Health. We operate across four business lines:Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products,Waters,and Specialised Nutrition Our headquarters are in France, we have offices in 55 countries across the globe, and our products are sold in over 120 markets. We have been around for more than a century and are the proud owners of some of the best‑known brands worldwide, including favorites like YoPro, Activia, Aptamil, and Karicare

Danone ANZ focuses on dairy and specialized nutrition products for infants and adults and is proud to be awarded the Great Place to Work accreditation winner for ANZ for the last 5 years in a row – a globally recognised program where we feature as one of Australia’s top places to work.

Visit our website, WE ARE DANONE, to know more about us.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

We proudly affirm that we are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and our ambition is to foster an Inclusive & DIVERSE workplace where all Danoners can bring their uniqueness to contribute to business results. Our commitment to DEI ensures that all qualified individuals receive fair consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and disability at our company.