R&D Director Cocoa APAC

Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Iberica SA.; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Iberica SA. seeks a senior leader to head APAC Cocoa R&D, translating global Cocoa direction into a regional agenda that aligns with commercial goals and drives customer growth, innovation, productivity and impact.

The role unites customer-facing, product, process, application and PLM capabilities into a single APAC organization, setting priorities and deploying resources where value is created. English fluency is required, other APAC languages are a plus.

Qualifications

• Significant senior R&D leadership experience (12–15+ years) with exposure to cocoa, chocolate or food ingredients.
• 7–10 years leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Fluent English; additional languages (Chinese/Japanese/Bahasa) advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Shape the APAC Cocoa R&D agenda and roadmap.
• Lead the regional Cocoa NPI and customer innovation pipeline.
• Build a strong Voice of the Customer for APAC.
• Provide regional technical governance for Cocoa products and raw materials.
• Lead and develop an integrated regional APAC Cocoa R&D organization.
• Partner with Global Cocoa R&D PMO and capability leaders.

Skills

R&D leadership

Cocoa & chocolate knowledge

APAC market experience

Cross-functional leadership

Education

University degree in Food Science/Technology/Engineering/Chemistry

Job description

At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide.We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

JOB SUMMARY

The role leads the Cocoa R&D organization across APAC, defining the regional R&D agenda in alignment with the APAC commercial strategy and translating the global Cocoa direction into clear regional priorities that drive customer growth, innovation, productivity and business impact.

This is a broad regional leadership role at the intersection of customers, commercial teams, factories and R&D. The role brings together customer-facing, product, process, application and PLM capabilities into one integrated APAC organization, setting priorities and deploying resources where they create the greatest value.

As the voice of APAC within Global Cocoa R&D, the role ensures regional customer needs, market opportunities, factory realities and technical challenges influence the global agenda, while bringing global Cocoa capabilities, expertise and innovation into the region.

The role also plays a key part in strengthening Cocoa-Chocolate collaboration, connecting Cocoa expertise with Chocolate R&D and Commercial teams to unlock customer opportunities and deliver differentiated solutions across APAC.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

Shape the APAC Cocoa R&D Agenda (20%)

• Define and lead the APAC Cocoa R&D strategy and roadmap.
• Own the regional R&D portfolio across customer growth, innovation, productivity and business support.
• Represent APAC opportunities, customer needs and technical challenges within Global Cocoa R&D.

Accelerate Customer Growth & Innovation (30%)

• Lead the regional Cocoa NPI and customer innovation pipeline.
• Build a strong Voice of the Customer.
• Ensure a consistent and high-quality Cocoa R&D customer experience across APAC.

Create Value Through Technical & Factory Leadership (20%)

• Drive R&D contribution to productivity, margin improvement, innovation and business continuity.
• Provide regional technical governance for Cocoa products and raw materials.

Build a High-Performing APAC Cocoa R&D Organization (15%)

• Lead and develop an integrated regional organization.
• Build technical capability, succession and career development.

Connect Cocoa, Chocolate & Global R&D (15%)

• Build a strong partnership with Regional Chocolate R&D.
• Partner with Global Cocoa R&D PMO and capability leaders.

REQUIRED ACADEMIC & TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Chemistry or related discipline.
• Significant senior R&D leadership experience (typically 12-15+ years) with strong exposure to cocoa, chocolate or food ingredients, including 7-10 years leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Fluent English; additional Chinese, Japanese or Bahasa languages are an advantage.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong.#oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.