Head of R&D, Netherlands — Innovation Leader in Snacks

pladis Foods Limited; Zaandam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Koninklijke Verkade, part of pladis, is seeking Head of R&D for the Netherlands based in Zaandam. You will lead the Netherlands R&D team to deliver the regional agenda, drive end-to-end product development from ideation to launch, and ensure alignment with consumer demands and brand identity.

You will bring a degree in a scientific field, 5+ years FMCG R&D leadership and a proven track record in bakery snacks, with English fluency and Lean Six Sigma knowledge.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years FMCG R&D leadership experience; 10 years in FMCG food category.
• Strong product development and commercialization track record.
• Languages: English fluent mandatory; Dutch/Turkish desirable.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort with AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Netherlands R&D strategy and end-to-end product development from ideation to launch.
• Provide leadership across formulation, ingredients, processing technology and product performance; coach the NL team.

Skills

R&D leadership

Product development

Project management

Team coaching

Quality & productivity

Education

Bachelor's in Food Science or related

Tools

Microsoft Office

AI tools

Job description

Koninklijke Verkade, part of pladis, is seeking Head of R&D for the Netherlands based in Zaandam. You will lead the Netherlands R&D team to deliver the regional agenda, drive end-to-end product development from ideation to launch, and ensure alignment with consumer demands and brand identity.

You will bring a degree in a scientific field, 5+ years FMCG R&D leadership and a proven track record in bakery snacks, with English fluency and Lean Six Sigma knowledge.