R&D Department Head | Food Technology | Industry

Reference nr.: JN -082024-6504597

Location: Vienna, Lower Austria

Contract type: Permanent

About Our Client

Our client in the Greater Vienna area is an internationally active company in the food industry and the within the field of food technology. For them, we are currently looking for a Head of Research & Development for one of their main food product groups, with personnel responsibility for approximately 15 people.

As the R&D Department Head, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our client's product portfolio. Your responsibilities will span across strategic leadership, team management, project oversight, collaboration, quality assurance, budget allocation, and intellectual property management.

Job Description

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a forward-thinking R&D strategy aligned with the company's growth objectives. Leverage market trends, consumer insights, and emerging technologies to guide product innovation.
• Team Management: Lead, mentor, and inspire a cross-functional team of scientists, engineers, and culinary experts. Foster a culture of creativity, excellence, and continuous learning.
• Project Oversight: Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of R&D projects. From ideation to commercialization, ensure timely delivery, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Marketing, Sales, and Operations teams to translate consumer needs into innovative product concepts. Collaborate with external partners, universities, and research institutes.
• Quality Assurance: Uphold rigorous quality standards throughout the product development process. Implement best practices in food safety, sensory evaluation, and regulatory compliance.
• Budget and Resource Allocation: Optimize resource allocation, balancing short-term priorities with long-term strategic initiatives.
• Intellectual Property: Identify patentable innovations and protect intellectual property rights.

The Successful Applicant

• Academic Excellence: You hold a master's or doctoral degree in food technology, chemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology or a related field.
• Industry Savvy: Practical experience in the food industry is an indispensable requirement, e.g. in product development, formulation, project management, process engineering, or similar.
• Leadership: Previous leadership experience will help you manage your teams and stakeholders.
• Business Acumen: An understanding of finance in business is advantageous when it comes to allocations of budgets and taking the right decisions
• Project Management: Navigate complex R&D projects with finesse.
• Language Skills: You are fluent in English and at least conversational in German (or willing to become so).
• Business Travel: You are willing to travel within Europe up to 15% of you time.
• Location: Your residence is in Vienna or Lower Austria or you are planning to move here.

What`s on Offer

• Competitive Compensation: The marked-based annual salary for this position depends on your qualification and experience and ranges from about 80 to 90 KEUR. On top, a company car will be at your disposal.
• Career Growth: Join a dynamic team where your contributions make a real impact.
• Cutting-Edge Environment: Work at the intersection of science, technology, and food.
• Flexible Working: Due to your role as a leader, frequent physical presence in the office is required, but some part of your job can be done from your home, too.

We treat your application with the utmost confidentiality and do not share your personal information or documents with the hiring company without prior coordination with you.

Contact

We are looking forward to receiving your application stating your salary expectations as well as the reference number JN -082024-6504597. Your application will be forwarded to the consultant in charge. Please note: We are accepting online applications only in order to ensure a fast processing.