Product Design and Development Manager (m/f/d), Fulda

Danone ist ein weltweit führendes Lebensmittelunternehmen, das in drei wachstumsstarken Bereichen tätig ist: Milchprodukte und pflanzliche Produkte, Wasser sowie Spezialnahrung. Getreu unserer Mission, möglichst vielen Menschen durch Ernährung zu mehr Gesundheit zu verhelfen, ist es unser Ziel, gesündere und nachhaltigere Ernährungs- und Konsumgewohnheiten zu fördern. Wir verpflichten uns, einen positiven und messbaren Einfluss auf die Ernährung, die Gesellschaft und die Umwelt auszuüben.

Tasks

• The Product Design and Development Manager (PDDM) oversees R&I activities at the Manufacturing site, supporting new products designed for the Chinese market. As an integral member of the R&I organization, the PDDM will work within cross-functional project teams and interface with the IDDC team responsible for pre-industrialization development, as well as the China Business Unit R&I team based in China.
• Specifically, the PDDM will:
• Lead the R&I technical execution of innovation projects, including training site staff, preparing and validating trials, supporting audit preparations, and facilitating industrialization efforts. The PDDM acts as the R&I representative for the Manufacturing applicant.
• Ensure technical R&I documents meet high standards and are delivered promptly.
• Follow established innovation processes and governance under the direction of the Innovation Project Leader.
• Strengthen the team’s expertise through active participation.
• As part of the Global SN R&I IDDC Team China, the PDDM will engage as required in early recipe design and development activities according to the needs of the Innovation Pipeline for the Chinese market.
• Main responsibilities include:
• Collaborating closely with the entire R&I organization, regulatory bodies, marketing, and the manufacturing site to deliver the China Innovation pipeline and product registration.
• Serving as the technical lead during formulation design and development, with particular emphasis on the industrialization phases of new product development.
• Ensuring new recipes are validated at the manufacturing site following R&I procedures and aligned with Chinese regulations for registration and commercialization.
• Providing essential support for first-time-right registration and commercial activities.

Profile

• Experience as a food developer or in R&I, ideally with infant formula, Medical Nutrition, dairy processing, and spray drying
• Master's degree in Food Technology or equivalent experience
• Excellent stakeholder management skills for effective communication across business functions and levels
• Fluency in German; professional English required; Chinese is desirable