Culinary Product Innovation Lead

mars; Nederland; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars Food & Nutrition in Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands, is seeking a Product Development & Culinary Scientist to shape our global innovation pipeline by transforming consumer needs into product solutions.

You will lead the development workstream from concept to launch, collaborating with R&D, Marketing, Commercial, Supply, Engineering, Consumer Insights, and Quality & Food Safety to deliver market-ready innovations.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related discipline.
• Culinary training or hands-on experience in a professional kitchen, foodservice, or product development environment.
• 3+ years of experience in developing food products within an R&D, innovation, manufacturing, or food development environment.
• Strong understanding of ingredients, recipe formulation, food technologies and manufacturing processes.
• Experience leading complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Strong project management and organizational capabilities.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders across functions and regions.
• Fluent in English both written and spoken.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development activities across innovation and renovation projects from concept through launch.
• Translate product development briefs into compelling product propositions aligned with consumer, customer, and business needs.
• Develop scientifically sound and culinary-inspired product solutions that deliver against our global food strategy.
• Partner with Global and Regional teams to establish product targets and successful implementation pathways.
• Drive product development workstreams while balancing consumer desirability, technical feasibility, and commercial viability.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, risks, and technical deliverables to ensure successful execution.
• Own critical product attributes, including taste, product performance, nutritional profile, and recipe cost.
• Utilize prototyping, sensory evaluation, consumer insights, and technical testing to optimize product performance.
• Manage intellectual property opportunities and risks throughout the product development process.
• Support regional adaptation of propositions where required to meet local consumer and market needs.
• Communicate progress, recommendations, and technical decisions effectively to stakeholders at all levels.

Skills

Fluent in English

Project management

Stakeholder influence

Food science understanding

Recipe formulation

Cross-functional collaboration

Quality awareness

Communication

Adaptability

Education

Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office applications

Job description

Mars Food & Nutrition in Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands, is seeking a Product Development & Culinary Scientist to shape our global innovation pipeline by transforming consumer needs into product solutions.

You will lead the development workstream from concept to launch, collaborating with R&D, Marketing, Commercial, Supply, Engineering, Consumer Insights, and Quality & Food Safety to deliver market-ready innovations.