Director-Research&Technology

KOS International Talent Group; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

KOS International Talent Group seeks a senior R&D leader in food technology to own the Technical Service roadmap, and to build a 1–3 year technology roadmap aligned with future innovation needs. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and collaborate with Production, QA, and Commercial to drive digitization and scalable development.

The role requires 15+ years in food tech R&D with 5+ years in senior leadership, fluency in English plus Mandarin/Cantonese, and a track record of bringing

Qualifications

• PhD or Master's in Food Science, Food Technology, Biochemistry, Microbial Fermentation, or related field.
• Experience: 15+ years in food technology R&D with 5+ years in senior leadership; proven track record of bringing technologies from concept to commercialization.
• Leadership: Cross-functional leadership across R&D, Production, QA, and Commercial.
• Languages: Fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the Technical Service roadmap aligned to strategic themes.
• Build a 1-to-3-year technology roadmap mechanism with PDC based on future innovation needs.
• Ensure new technologies land safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Build scientific frameworks to shorten product development cycles.
• Drive Product Spec 2.0 rollout — from manual to digitizable.

Skills

Roadmap strategy

Cross-functional leadership

People management

English fluency

Mandarin

Cantonese

Education

PhD in Food Science

Master’s in related field

Job description

• Own and evolve the Technical Service roadmap aligned to the strategic themes
• Build a 1-to-3-year technology roadmap mechanism with PDC based on future innovation needs
• Ensure new technologies land safely, accurately, and efficiently
• Build scientific frameworks to shorten product development cycles
• Drive Product Spec 2.0 rollout — from manual to digitizable

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with PDC to land new technologies into products
• Work with Production & QA & other departments on all projects
• Manage OEM partnerships and external collaborations

Capability Building & Digital Transformation

• Build diversified technical capability manpower
• Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary team of scientists, technicians, and managers
• Foster a culture of scientific rigor, "safely-accurately-efficiently" execution, and innovation
• Manage team budget, lab resources, and external partnerships

Requirements:

• PhD or Master's in Food Science, Food Technology, Biochemistry, Microbial Fermentation, or related field
• Experience: 15+ years in food technology R&D, with 5+ years in senior leadership; proven track record of taking technologies from concept to commercialization
• Leadership: Demonstrated cross-functional leadership across R&D, Production, QA, and Commercial
• Languages: Fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese

Nice to Have:

• Experience with food digitalization (PS, LIMS, ERN systems)
• International / multi-plant R&D setup exposure
• Track record of building scientific frameworks that shorten product development cycle