Technical Director Product Development WE

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Technical Director Product Development WE

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 16,000 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 the Technical Director/Sub-Regional Head, you will help develop technical strategies and lead technical teams across all Flavour Creation and Application Units in Western Europe. Your expertise will guide technical solutions excellence within our organization, ensure a positive customer experience, and foster a workplace where our employees love to be and grow.

You will be a member of the Western Europe Leadership Team and the Technical Leadership Team for Europe. You will report to the Commercial Head Western Europe and be based in Naarden, The Netherlands; Argenteuil, France; or San Celoni, Spain.

Main Responsibilities

1. Define the Western Europe technical strategy aligned with the overall regional strategy.
2. Provide strategic direction for Research & Development and Regional Innovation departments from a Western European perspective.
3. Ensure technical and strategic alignment with other European regions.
4. Ensure the capabilities and resources are in place to execute the technical strategy effectively.
5. Update management on internal and external technical activities, including performance against objectives.

Provide a superior customer experience

1. Act as the main technical contact for key accounts to develop relationships at the management level, understanding technical needs, and designing execution strategies.
2. Participate in key customer visits and meetings.

Technical Process Management

1. Coordinate with functional areas to assess needs and improve technical execution.
2. Lead the adoption and promotion of new technologies to improve technical solutions.
3. Manage tools and approaches to enhance project and brief execution.
4. Support the commercialization of new technologies.

People Management

1. Oversee the performance and development of the Western Europe technical team.
2. Lead initiatives for technical training and capability building.
3. Support recruitment, development, and performance management of local Technical Managers.
4. Promote diversity and inclusion within the team.

Academic Background

• Polytechnic or Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related field; or
• M.S. in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related area;

Professional Experience

• Minimum 7+ years in a food applications lab, flavorist lab, or related area.

Technical Skills

• Strong project management skills and the ability to guide project managers.
• Experience interfacing with customers to address technical needs across multiple application areas.
• Effective leadership skills for managing personnel in flavor creation and application.
• Ability to deliver technical presentations across functions such as applications, sensory analysis, and marketing.
• Excellent communication skills to align resources and achieve technical objectives.

At Givaudan, you contribute to delightful taste and scent experiences that touch people’s lives. You work within an inspiring team culture where you can thrive, collaborate, and learn from passionate professionals across disciplines, regions, and divisions. Every essence of you enriches our world. Diversity drives innovation and creates closer connections with our employees, customers, and partners. Givaudan embraces diversity and is committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can impact our world.