Innovation & Application Manager - UK/IRL

Brenntag; Leeds; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Brenntag’s Nutrition distribution team in the UK & Ireland seeks a senior leader to manage the Leeds Innovation & Application Centre, driving growth, innovation, and technical excellence. You will lead a small technical team, oversee laboratory activities, and collaborate with suppliers and commercial teams to support business opportunities across the region.

You will oversee the centre's operations, ensure high safety standards, and manage CAPEX investments to enhance technical capabilities and

Qualifications

• Experience leading a technical team.
• Strong analytical and testing skills.
• Experience in ingredient evaluation and application development.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Leeds Innovation & Application Centre and lead a 2–3 person technical team.
• Evaluate ingredients from strategic suppliers through analytical testing and application development.
• Support commercial teams with customer projects, technical recommendations, and visits.
• Build partnerships with suppliers and collaborate with Product Managers and Commercial teams to drive growth.
• Oversee CAPEX budgeting for the Leeds centre and ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Technical expertise

Project management

Job description

Your Role:

To drive technical growth, innovation, and business development opportunities, supporting Brenntag's Nutrition distribution business across the UK & Ireland. Manage the Innovation & Application Centre in Leeds which includes leading a team of 2-3 technical professionals.

Support customers, suppliers, and commercial teams across the UK & Ireland through ingredient evaluation, application development, and technical expertise.

Develop strong relationships with strategic suppliers and actively contribute to the EMEA Application & Innovation Network. Ensures the Leeds I&AC operates as a centre of technical excellence, delivering high-quality support to both local and regional business opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Manages a pipeline of technical projects supporting the growth of Brenntag's Nutrition distribution business across the UK & Ireland and selected regional initiatives within EMEA.
• Evaluates ingredients from strategic suppliers through analytical assessments, functional testing, and application development activities across a broad portfolio of ingredient categories.
• Supports commercial teams with customer projects, technical recommendations, presentations, troubleshooting, and customer visits.
• Leads and develops a high-performing team of 2-3 technical professionals, fostering technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Maintains a hands-on approach by actively participating in laboratory activities, ingredient evaluations, application trials, and customer projects alongside the team.
• Oversees the operations of the Leeds Innovation & Application Centre, ensuring efficient resource utilization, high safety standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Plans, executes, documents, and reports technical and application activities using company systems and procedures.
• Builds strong technical partnerships with strategic suppliers, supporting ingredient evaluations, joint development activities, and innovation initiatives.
• Collaborates closely with Product Managers and Commercial teams to identify technical opportunities and support business growth.
• Manages the annual CAPEX budget for the Leeds Innovation & Application Centre, identifying and implementing investments that support safety standard, continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and technical capabilities.
• Actively participates in the EMEA Application & Innovation Network, sharing best practices and contributing to cross-regional projects and initiatives.

Brenntag provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees of all backgrounds and identities to create a workplace where difference is valued because it forms a resilient and more innovative organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, parental and family status, or any other protected characteristic. We welcome applications from women, men and non-binary candidates of all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.

Brenntag TA Team