RD MANAGER MALESIA

Unigrà S.r.l.; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Unigrà S.r.l. is seeking an R&D Manager to lead the Malaysia plant's R&D and Regulatory functions. You will oversee product development, industrialization, and compliance across chocolate, margarine, and UHT products while aligning with HQ and driving governance and KPI reporting.

You will manage a 12-person team, ensure strategic prioritization, and deliver high-volume project portfolios under pressure in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry or related discipline.
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in Food R&D within industrial manufacturing environments.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in team management.
• Good knowledge of Regulations for international export markets and project management methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the full R&D and Regulatory function of the Malaysia plant across chocolate, margarine and UHT products.
• Drive project prioritization and resource allocation in a high-growth environment.
• Oversee product development, renewal, and industrialization projects from conception to market launch.
• Implement governance, KPI tracking and reporting to ensure transparency and scalability.
• Ensure compliance with local and international food regulations across 100+ export markets.
• Act as the technical interface with cross-functional stakeholders and HQ alignment.
• Develop the R&D and Regulatory team and ensure succession planning and talent retention.

Skills

People leadership

Strategic thinking

Data-driven decision making

Regulatory awareness

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Science/Food Technology/Chemistry

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office

Job description

Unigrà is an Italian agro-food group founded in 1972. Through its various brands, the company offers high-end raw materials, semi-processed and finished products across all channels, the main categories being Chocolate and Chocolate Compounds, UHT Vegetable Creams and Margarine.

The R&D Manager, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Malaysia, dotted to R&D Corporate Director, is responsible for leading the Research & Development function of the Malaysia plant, overseeing product development and industrialization activities across the following categories:

• Chocolate and compound
• Margarine and fats
• UHT plant-based beverages, creams, creamers and ice cream

The role leads a team of 12 people, including R&D Team and the Regulatory team.

The R&D Manager ensures effective prioritization and execution of an increasingly complex and high-volume project portfolio, safeguarding team capacity while delivering business objectives.

The position acts as the main technical and organizational reference for the plant, ensuring alignment with Global R&D strategy, harmonization of procedures with HQ, and implementation of structured governance, KPI monitoring and reporting systems.

The role requires strong technical credibility, senior leadership capabilities, and resilience in high-pressure and fast-growing environments.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the full R&D and Regulatory function of the Malaysia plant across chocolate, margarine and UHT products, ensuring alignment with business and strategic objectives
• Drive effective project prioritization and resource allocation in a high-growth, high-demand environment, balancing commercial expectations with technical feasibility and team capacity
• Oversee product development, renewal, and industrialization projects from conception to market launch, ensuring structured, rapid, and high-quality execution.
• Implement and continuously improve project governance, methodologies (e.g. stage-gate), KPI tracking and reporting systems to ensure transparency, performance and scalability
• Ensure full compliance with local and international food regulations across 100+ export markets, integrating regulatory requirements (including halal and kosher) into development processes
• Act as the key technical interface with cross-functional stakeholders (Sales, Marketing, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement) and ensure strong alignment with HQ and international plants
• Lead, coach and develop the R&D and Regulatory team, strengthening engagement, accountability, technical excellence and long-term capability
• Define objectives, monitor performance, support career development and ensure effective succession planning and talent retention
• Ensure sustainable team performance through workload balancing, manpower planning and budget management
• Drive standardization of processes, documentation and product development practices
• Contribute to cost optimization, raw material rationalization and value engineering initiatives
• Support the definition and execution of the long-term innovation roadmap and technology development
• Prepare and present structured performance updates and insights to the Global R&D Director
• Act as an active member of the plant leadership team, fostering a collaborative, resilient and performance-driven culture

Qualifications & Experience (Must have)

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry or related discipline
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in Food R&D within industrial manufacturing environments
• Proven experience in at least one of the following categories:
  • UHT beverages or emulsified systems (preferred option)
  • Margarine and fats
  • Chocolate and compound
• Minimum 5 years of experience in team management
• Strong technical background with the ability to review formulations, processes and scale-up challenges
• Demonstrated experience managing high project volume and complex portfolios
• Experience working in multinational and multi-site environments
• Good knowledge of Regulations for international export markets
• Proven experience in project management methodologies

Nice to have

• SAP knowledge
• Experience in process optimization and industrial efficiency projects
• Experience in Southeast Asian markets
• Experience managing Halal and Kosher certified production environments

Language

Knowledge Fluent in oral and written English

PC Knowledge

Proficiency in Microsoft Office ( Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Strong leadership and people development capabilities

• High resilience and ability to perform under pressure
• Strategic thinking combined with operational execution
• Excellent prioritization and decision-making skills
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional influence
• Structured and data-driven approach
• Technical credibility and hands-on mindset
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• High level of accountability and ownership

Location

Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru, Malesia