Application Technologist (Team Leader)

Overview & Objective of the position:

The position will be responsible for application support with the focus on meat processed applications like hams, cooked & fermented sausages, fresh sausages & burgers within the Western European market (France, Benelux, Spain, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia). This large perimeter of action will allow the applicant to have an interesting portfolio of specialized costumers that have scientific issues with which you may help with.

The Application Technologist is the link between the customer, Kerry's sales team & Kerry's development team. This will allow you to have a coordination role increasing the interest of missions on a day-to-day basis.
All application work will deliver in terms of Taste, Functionality and Nutrition. This will ensure that you have a global overview and understanding of the varied product portfolio.

Responsibilities:

* Responsible for supervising a team (about 3/4 members) that supports the application process in new products or adjusts existing products.
* Responsible in conjunction with Application Lead for the application team development ensuring each team member has a development plan to help focus growth within the role.
* Ensure the application team are utilizing internal products and Building Blocks within all development.
* Understands key customer requirements, trends from the markets & end consumers, regulatory environment and process developments.
* Understand key customers, their manufacturing processes, NPD systems, finished products, brands and development standards
* Be an expert in applying Kerry Technology offerings into processed meat applications. Based on this knowledge of customers and Kerry Technologies, be able to select the right Kerry products to best meet our customer needs, including optimising cost in use and customer value creation
* Responsible for testing of Kerry technologies in processed meat applications
* Responsible for devising systems to demonstrate Kerry Technologies
* Provide support and training to the commercial teams, to enable them to select Kerry Technologies for the Customer
* Manage customer interface Kerry Development team & our customers RDA-team
* Managing work load and reporting progress in a timely fashion, by attending meetings and using the appropriate systems.

Deliverables:

* Combine food values and science to create products aligned with Taste and Nutrition market positioning.
Your qualifications and experience:
* Food Science Degree / Masters / Minimum of 5 years working in a NPD environment with focus on processed red meat products.
* Demonstrates creativity, practical skills & enjoyment of food
* Commercial awareness of food manufacturing operations
* Laboratory, pilot plant and factory experience
* Willing to travel within EMEA

Key Competencies:

* Self-motivation, proactivity and ability to work with minimal supervision
* Time-management skills; flexibility to cope with variable workloads and time requirements
* Demonstrated critical thinking skills; attention to detail; curiosity.
* Ownership and accountability for own deliverables.
* Clear and structured communication, both verbal and written with the ability to confidently present information and food products to customers.
* Good interpersonal skills