Developer R&D (m/f/d) Natural Colours, Coatings & Glazes (Digital & AI-Forward)

DöhlerGroup; Darmstadt; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Anniversary payments

Employee referral bonuses

IT leasing discounts

Job summary

DöhlerGroup seeks a high-potential mid-level Developer or PhD Graduate to accelerate development of natural food colours, coatings, and glazing while bridging advanced food chemistry with digital technologies.

You will drive lab-to-production scale-up, shape AI-assisted workflows, and lead B2B technical projects across global teams, with collaboration across management, production, and QA.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. with fast learning ability and strong problem-solving.
• Ambitious mid-level professional with natural colour experience or strong potential.
• Fluent English; German a plus for cross-plant communication.

Responsibilities

• Own accelerated product development for natural colours and coatings.
• Develop scalable production processes for liquid and powder colouring matrices.
• Bridge lab work to global industrial production and optimize AI-driven workflows.
• Lead customer projects and provide technical recommendations to B2B clients.
• Coordinate with Product Management, Production, Regulatory and QA for global alignment.

Skills

AI & digital tools

Lab-to-Production

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Food Science/Related

Food Technology background

Job description

Company Description

Are you interested in high-quality, natural, and tasty nutrition?

Company Description

Are you interested in high-quality, natural, and tasty nutrition? We are! It’s our ambition to shape the future of nutrition. Döhler is a leading global producer of natural ingredients and solutions for the food, beverage, lifestyle and nutrition industries. We use innovative technology to process plant-based raw materials and enrich products such as lifestyle drinks, cereals, dairy, and confectionery goods for almost every well-known brand. Close to 10.000 dedicated employees in more than 70 countries share one common goal - to ensure that millions of people around the world enjoy the products created by us. We strive to inspire and empower our employees in everything we do, and we invite you to join our team – together WE BRING IDEAS TO LIFE. We are seeking a high-potential, tech-savvy Mid-Level Developer or PhD Graduate who can rapidly immerse themselves in the world of natural colours. This is a high-velocity role designed for an ambitious person who doesn't just work in a lab, but actively seeks to modernize the development landscape. You will bridge the gap between advanced food chemistry and cutting-edge digital technology, helping us redefine how B2B colour solutions are developed, scaled, and optimized.

Job Description

• Accelerated Product Development: Take ownership of innovative product developments and formulation processes for natural food and beverage colours, technical coatings, and glazing applications.
• Process Optimization & Scale-Up: Develop and optimize production processes for liquid and powdercolouring matrices (blends, emulsions, concentrates) ensuring top-tier stability, intensity, and handling.
• Seamlessly support the scale-up from lab/pilot scale to global industrial production.
• Shape the Digital & AI Landscape: Act as our R&D digital champion. Frame what Agentic AI can do for our formulation workflows, propose concrete ideas to construct a more efficient operational landscape, and drive automated, data-driven approaches within the lab.
• Analytical Excellence: Evaluate new formulations using spectrophotometric and advanced physical/chemical analytical methods, translating complex data into clear specification recommendations.
• B2B Client & Project Management: Lead fast-paced customer and innovation projects based on market trends and raw material evaluations. Develop technical application recommendations for global B2B clients.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate directly with Product Management, Production, Regulatory, and Quality Assurance to ensure global alignment and cost-effective portfolio harmonization.

Qualifications

• Successfully completed studies in Food Technology, Beverage Technology, Food Chemistry, or a comparable scientific field - ideally holding a Ph.D. with a track record of rapid learning.
• You are either an ambitious mid-level professional with initial natural colour experience or a highly adaptable academic ready to transition into the industry at an accelerated pace. You possess a proven ability to master complex natural matrices quickly.
• Strong conceptual understanding of advanced digital tools and AI applications (specifically Agentic AI).
• You can conceptualize how AI agents can automate workflows, structure data landscapes, and make R&D processes more effective.
• A proactive, inventive driver of innovative solutions who combines an understanding of B2B customer needs with excellent analytical skills.
• English is mandatory (fluent written and spoken). German is a strong plus to facilitate cross-plant communication.

Additional Information

• Culture: Friendly and informal atmosphere, family-owned company, flat hierarchies, short communication channels, and helpful colleagues
• Impact: You are an integral part of our business success and make an important contribution to the future of nutrition
• Empowerment: You can fully unleash your potential and have the opportunity to take on responsibilities
• Digitalization: We maintain excellent partnerships with market-leading innovators, allowing you to access and work with state-of-the-art technologies
• Anniversary and special payments
• Employee referral bonuses
• Additional benefits: Christmas parties, events, financial benefits, and online shop discounts (e.g., IT leasing, mobile phone contracts, shopping, and travel discounts, etc.)

What WeOffer

• Work withpassion: We create an environment where passion meets profession. Meaningful work and positive energy inspire people to give their best and make lasting contribution to our shared success.
• Take ownership: We empower you to take ownership and share your ideas. Whatever your role, you have the opportunity to show initiative and make an impact.
• Grow yourway: With flexibledevelopmentopportunitiesacross departments and a global team, you can broaden your skills, discover newstrengthsand actively shape your career path.
• Thrive in a global environment: Join an international team bringing together multiplecultures,languagesand perspectives to sparknew ideasand inspiration.Through global collaboration, you expand your horizon both professionally and personally.
• The team always wins: We build real connections and grow together. By sharing knowledge and valuing each other’s strengths, we create a culture where trust and team playlead to shared success.

EqualOpportunities for All

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds regardless of age, ancestry, disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity or expression, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, social background or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

A good match starts with shared values. Complete our Culture Fit Challenge to find out how well your mindset aligns with the way we work.