Research and Development Executive (Margarine / Oil & Fats)

Unigrà APAC; Pasir Gudang; On-site; MYR 78,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

Unigrà APAC is seeking an R&D Executive based in Malaysia to lead development, optimization and industrialization of margarine and fat systems. You will drive projects from concept through commercialization while coordinating with Production, QA, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Marketing and Sales.

The role requires a degree in Food Science/Technology and 3–5 years in R&D for Margarine or fat systems, with strong knowledge of fat chemistry and water-in-oil emulsions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Food Science/Technology or related field.
• Experience in R&D for Margarine or fat systems preferred.
• Strong communication and project coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage product development projects (NPD/renovation) for margarine, shortening, fat systems and blends.
• Develop and optimize formulations based on melting profile, crystallization, plasticity and spreadability.
• Apply knowledge of fat chemistry and water-in-oil emulsions to product design.
• Design and run experiments to optimize cost, crystal structure, emulsion stability, shelf life and texture.
• Plan and lead laboratory, pilot plant and industrial trials; supervise technicians.
• Optimize processing parameters (cooling rate, crystallization) to meet formulation requirements.
• Troubleshoot margarine and fat blend challenges during development and scale-up.
• Collaborate with QA/Regulatory to ensure compliance with local and export regulations.
• Prepare technical documentation including TDS, product specs and SAP master data.
• Present results and updates to internal stakeholders.

Skills

English communication

Project management

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science/Technology

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data analysis tools

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 Executive is responsible for the development, optimization and industrialization of margarine, spreads and vegetable fat systems, managing projects independently from concept to commercialization.

The role acts as technical project owner, coordinating laboratory and pilot plant activities and collaborating cross-functionally with Production, QA, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Marketing and Sales.

Responsibilities

Independently manage product development projects (NPD and renovation) for retail and industrial margarine, shortening, functional fat system, vegetable oil and fat blends.

Develop and optimize formulations based on melting profile, crystallization behavior, plasticity and spreadability, oxidative stability.

Apply strong knowledge of fat chemistry and water-in-oil emulsion system

Design and execute experiments to optimize:

• Cost
• Crystal structure
• Emulsion stability
• Shelf life stability
• Texture and application performance (bakery, cooking, whipping)

Plan and lead laboratory, pilot plant and industrial trials

Optimize processing parameters (cooling rate, crystallization etc.) in relation to formulation requirements

Troubleshoot common margarine and fat blend challenges and issues

Coordinate and supervise pilot plant technicians during trials

Support scale-up and industrialization activities

Collaborate with QA and Regulatory to ensure compliance with local and export regulations

Prepare technical documentation including TDS, product specifications and SAP master data

Present technical results and project updates to internal stakeholders

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Food Technology or related discipline
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in R&D within Margarine and/or shortening OR Fat systems and water-in-oil emulsion
• Strong knowledge of Oils Fat chemistry, Lipid crystallization, Margarine technology (pilot plant and industrial line) or Oxidative stability
• Experience with pilot plant operations and industrial scale-up
• Experience in experiments design and data analysis
• Able to work on multiple projects to meets deadline.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

This position is reporting to the R&D Asisstant Manager

This position will be based in Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang