Principal Flavourist Lead - Savoury EU (m/f/d)

Givaudan; Schweiz; Hybrid; CHF 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40 hour working week

1 remote working day per week

Pension fund contributions

Subsidized meals in staff restaurant

Sport and leisure club

Job summary

Givaudan seeks a Principal Flavourist Lead in Europe, based in Kemptthal. You will lead the European savoury flavourist community, drive innovation, mentor talent, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver differentiated flavour solutions.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and the adoption of digital tools to accelerate speed to market and customer value. Based in Switzerland with one remote day per week, offering a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in food science, chemistry, biology or similar.
• Extensive flavour expertise and leadership in savoury formulations.
• Experience leading regional flavour innovation initiatives and communities.
• Proven ability to translate science into commercially successful solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the European savoury flavourist community, driving knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Represent the region in global expert communities and partner with key customers.
• Define strategic frameworks and tools to support flavour excellence and speed-to-market.
• Champion the integration of digital tools into flavour creation processes.

Skills

Flavor formulation

Sensory evaluation

Digital tools

Data analytics

Sustainable sourcing

Modelling

Communication

Stakeholder influence

Education

Bachelor or Master’s degree in food science, Chemistry, Biology or similar

Job description

Join us and celebrate the beauty of human experience. Create for happier, healthier lives, with love for nature. Together, with passion and creativity, we deliver food innovations, craft inspired fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions. There’s much to learn and many to learn from, with more than 17,000 employees around the world to explore ideas and ambitions with. Every day, your talent, your innovative spirit, and your determination will shape our future, making a positive difference on billions of people. Every essence of you enriches our world. We are Givaudan. Human by nature.

As Principal Flavourist Lead, you will serve as the leading expert for the European Savoury segment, driving innovation, technical excellence, and best practices across the flavour creation community. You will develop and mentor talent to build future capabilities, strengthen commercial and business expertise, and create differentiated flavour solutions that reinforce Givaudan's competitive advantage in the savoury market.

You will be based in Kemptthal and reporting directly to the Creation Director Europe.

In this exciting role you will:

Functional Leadership of the Savoury flavourist Community

• - Lead the European flavourist community, promoting knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation.
• - Represent Region in global expert communities of practice to ensure regional relevance in flavour innovation.
• - Accountable for talent and development process within the regional flavour community, by active participation in training and learning programmes for flavourists.

Creation Excellence and Innovation

• - Define and oversee strategic frameworks, tools and design identity goals supporting flavour excellence and innovation. Aligning them with our performance goals.
• - Be the spokesperson for Savoury flavour expertise, representing the function to other teams, industry associations, and key customers.
• - Integrate new digital tools into flavour creation processes, being a champion to the wider community to promote use and to enhance efficiency.

Regional Innovation and Customer Partnership

• - Lead mid-term development programmes, connecting with the sub-regions to understand their needs, then translating global S&T plans into successful and profitable commercial solutions for the region.
• - Partner with cross-functional teams (Commercial, S&T, Procurement, Regulatory, Operations, Pricing & Controlling) to improve and deliver superior flavour performance.
• - Serve as a strategic partner to strategic customers, representing Givaudan's creation capabilities in top to top strategic discussions.

Your professional profile includes:

• - Bachelor or Master's degree in food science, Chemistry, Biology or similar
• - Minimum 20 years of experience as a flavourist - majority within the savoury segment
• - Experience across multiple countries
• - Experience technical leadership, innovation and community engagement
• - Advanced expertise in flavour formulation and sensory evaluation, delivering innovative flavour solutions that meet market needs and guide commercial success
• - Engaging communicator, translating complex topics into clear, applicable insights that influence decisions and foster organizational agreement
• - Expertise in digital tools, data analytics, sustainable sourcing, and modelling to accelerate speed to market, and deliver customer value
• - Experience connecting technical innovation to strategic results, influencing investment decisions, and strengthening market leadership

Your benefits in Kemptthal:

• - Excellent opportunities for progressive learning and development
• - 40 hour working week
• - 1 remote working day per week
• - Additional paid days off
• - Favorable pension fund contributions
• - Subsidized meals in the Staff restaurant
• - Sport and leisure club (amenities/showers on site)
• - Discounts at the company shop
• - Subsidized: REKA vouchers and SBB half fare travelcard
• - Worldwide private accident coverage and free choice of hospital
• - Worldwide private accident insurance
• - Additional family/education allowance

At Givaudan, you contribute to delightful taste and scent experiences that touch people’s lives.

We value the different perspectives that come from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Everyone — regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, culture, religion, or any personal circumstances — is warmly welcomed at Givaudan, a place where we all love to be and grow.

Every essence of you enriches our world. Join us in making a difference together.