Senior Sensory Manager, APAC

tate & lyle asia pacific pte. ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary + performance bonus

High-end insurance coverage

Flexible benefits

LinkedIn Learning

Employee resource groups

Job summary

Tate & Lyle Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. in Singapore is seeking a Senior Sensory Manager, APAC to lead sensory research across the region. You will partner with Innovation, Applications, and Technical Service stakeholders to derive insights for ingredients, products and consumer trends.

The role oversees Sensory teams, mentors scientists, and steers descriptive programs while aligning with global strategy and regional needs. Fluency in English is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10–15 years of technical services experience in CPG, preferably Food & Beverage
• Fluent in English, written and spoken; strong communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree in food science/technology/engineering or sensory-related field; Master’s in Sensory Science preferred

Responsibilities

• Oversee one or more sensory teams and manage high-impact scientific projects
• Develop innovative sensory initiatives and establish standards to drive product innovation
• Provide expert guidance to cross-functional teams on sensory quality and capabilities
• Analyze and report sensory data; translate insights into leadership-ready recommendations
• Ensure adherence to policies, standards and regulatory guidelines across the region
• Collaborate with senior leadership to integrate sensory science into long-term plans
• Own the Regional Descriptive Program including scheduling with PMs and panel leads
• Lead methodological guidance and perform sensory research to meet objectives
• Drive efficiency, continuous improvement, and reproducibility of sensory studies
• Protect IP through knowledge management and reporting
• Present research at scientific conferences and outreach events
• Communicate clearly with internal and external stakeholders
• Contribute to site management with emphasis on wellbeing and ED&I

Skills

Leadership

Product Development

Research Design

Project Management

Food Sciences

Data Science

Sensory Testing

Cross-Functional Teamwork

Continuous Improvement

Analytical thinking

Education

BSc in Food Science/Engineering

MSc in Sensory Science (preferred)

Tools

Compusense

EyeQuestion

Fizz

Red Jade

Sims

SAS

JMP

XLSTAT

PowerPoint

Excel

Project

Word

Job description

As Senior Sensory Manager, APAC, you will partner with Regional Innovation & Commercial Development, Applications, and Technical Service stakeholders to oversee sensory research across the designated region to drive customer excellence. Utilizing global and regional sensory and consumer research capabilities to derive ingredient, product, and consumer insights for the organization.

About You

We’re looking to recruit a Senior Sensory Manager, APAC in Singapore, reporting to the Global Sensory Director, based in the USA.

This role will develop and execute research strategies to inform product performance for new and existing ingredients globally, for the purpose of delivering excellence for the customer.

The Senior Sensory Manager will be responsible for developing and mentoring Sensory Research & Principal Scientists within the region and across multiple countries.

About Us

Tate & Lyle's purpose, Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food, inspires everything we do. Whether it’s by making food and drink healthier and tastier; continuously improving how we work; promoting a safe working environment; or making a difference in our local communities, we believe we can successfully grow our business and have a positive impact on society.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Oversee one or more Sensory teams, managing high-impact scientific projects, supporting professional development and ensuring testing excellence across the Country Cluster.

• Develop innovative Sensory initiatives and procedures for the managed areas, setting quality and technical standards that drive product innovation and deepen understanding of product performance. Identify insights and trends from metadata analysis, build predictive model, and create interactive toolkit to visualize sensory data.

• Provide expert guidance to cross-functional teams in Innovation & R&D, Sales & Marketing and EHS & Quality on sensory quality, performance and capabilities for products, aligning projects with corporate goals and regional needs

• Analyze and report on sensory data, translating insights into ideas, strategies and recommendations for leadership that shape product differentiation and market competitiveness.

• Ensure adherence to Sensory policies and protocols, quality standards, and regulatory guidelines within the Country Cluster, corrective actions and adjustments to ensure compliance and corporate governance.

• Collaborate with senior leadership across the region to integrate sensory science into long-term business objectives, product development plans and future planning considerations.

• Own and manage the Regional Descriptive Program for the region, managing the day-to-day responsibilities and priorities, including scheduling of test requirements with Project Managers and panel leads.

• Act as subject matter expert to advise on correct methodologies and lead sensory research to meet project objectives of internal partners and external customers.

• Lead gap assessment in regional practices and implement approaches to improve efficiency, drive continues improvement, clarity, accuracy, and reproducibility of sensory study and data analysis.

• Protect intellectual property by following policies and best practices in knowledge management, IP execution, and information sharing.

• Represent Tate & Lyle by presenting research findings in Science and Education Outreach events and scientific conferences.

• Provide clear and timely communication, synthesize multiple data sources into meaningful information and present actionable research findings while interfacing broadly with key internal stakeholders and external customers.

• Act as member of the site management team, influencing site strategy with a strong emphasis on employee well-being, ED&I along with EHSQS activities.

• Contribute to intellectual activities such as drafting invention disclosure and patent application, presenting at scientific conferences, providing sensory training to internal colleagues and external customers.

EHS Supporting:

• You must have a safety mindset and work with various stakeholders to assist the company in achieving EHS Excellence.

Location

This role is assigned to our Singapore office located in Biopolis (Buona Vista MRT)

What You’ll have

Skills & Competencies:

• Leadership; Product Development; Research Designs; Project Management; Food Sciences; Research Techniques; Food Technology; Taking Initiative; Communication; Consumer Research; Laboratory Testing; Process Improvement Plans; Data Collections; Sensory Testing; Cross-Functional Teamwork; Continuous Improvement (CI)

• Pragmatic, analytical approach, able to adapt to changing business requirements

• Proficient using Sensory software (i.e., Compusense, EyeQuestion, Fizz, Red Jade, Sims, etc. and Statistical software (i.e. SAS, JMP, XLSTAT), PowerPoint, Excel, Project, Word

• Strong background in statistics and data science applied to sensory and consumer data

• Ability to listen and identify project objectives and influence the research plan to do the correct sensory and/or consumer studies at the right time, thereby increasing the success rate.

• Strong planning and organizational skills, including knowledge of project management principles.

• Ability to apply tools and techniques to develop/plan, manage or execute multiple projects/work plans and ensure successful completion (e.g., on time, on budget).

• Self-motivated with ability to effectively focus and motivate resources

• Experience using Design Thinking and Agile methodologies is a plus

Experience:

• Minimum 10 - 15 years of technical services experience in CPG (Consumer Product Group) field, in the Food and Beverage industry preferred.

• Deep expertise in a broad range of sensory and consumer research techniques

• Experience with Sensory Spectrum Methodology and descriptive panel management

• Customer focused and solution-oriented approach

• Strong communication skills including ability to write concise, informative reports and verbally present complex technical information to non-technical audiences.

• Able to build good relationships with multi-cultural colleagues and from multiple functions

• Be comfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving timelines

• Fluency in English, written and spoken, and one local language is essential

• Experience of working with strict health and safety protocols in a laboratory environment is essentialCustomer-focused

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in food science/technology/Engineering or Sensory related field (examples: statistics, consumer science, cognitive behavior). Master’s Degree in Sensory Science is preferred.

What We Can Offer

• Base salary + Performance Bonus

• High-end Insurance coverage

• Flexible benefits

• LinkedIn Learning

• MembershipinEmployee Resource Groups (Professional Women’s Network, LGBTQ+, Black Employee Network, Veterans’, Mental Health)

• Mental health and well-being support via Mental Health First Aiders & Employee Assistance Program

• Local volunteering opportunities (where applicable)

• Business travel

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