RDA Senior Technologist
About Kerry
About the role
We are seeking an RD&A Senior Technologist to join our Research Development and Application (RDA) team in Naas, Ireland. The successful candidate will be responsible for the development of beverages tailored to taste preference and considering key nutritional requirements to meet the consumers ever growing appetite for great tasting, healthy beverages within the European market.
The successful candidate will collaborate closely with our taste / flavour teams along with other relevant key technology teams for Beverages, developing exciting new products in collaboration with our customers.
The role is customer-facing and will involve supporting and driving business growth with our customers.
Key responsibilities
- Work seamlessly with cross-functional teams to ensure excellent service in concept development, sample delivery, product presentations, and customer support.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key beverage customers by understanding their market dynamics and providing technical knowledge and support.
- Lead specific projects from idea generation to formula finalization, collaborating closely with Technical, Marketing, and key stakeholders.
- Ensure all products comply with legal, cost, food safety, and compositional requirements.
- Manage projects to achieve business goals and targets, partnering with cross-functional peers to deliver key propositions to market flawlessly.
- Ensure sensory, consumer, and analytical testing is conducted to drive commercial impact.
- Communicate project plans and progress to stakeholders to ensure project outputs meet business needs and return on investment.
- Engage in the design and development of proactive and reactive presentations linked to market-leading, consumer-focused concepts.
- Present these concepts effectively to key beverage customers.
- Provide recommendations and best practices for the production of beverage-based products during production trials.
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- Identify potential opportunities and assist in implementing process and performance improvements.
- Gather and analyze data from various sources to formulate reports and analytics that support decision-making.
- Apply a deep understanding of taste technologies and the functionality of flavors in final beverage applications, considering cost, functionality, and stability aspects.
- Foster a culture of creativity and innovation within the team, encouraging new ideas and approaches to beverage development.
- Continuously explore and implement creative solutions to enhance product offerings and meet customer needs.
Qualifications and skills
- Degree or similar in food science, Nutrition or related discipline.
- Experience working in a Beverage Application role with a focus on flavour application knowledge.
- Strong innovation skills to develop novel solutions and create competitive advantage for Kerry
- Driven to overcome challenges and develop timely solutions
- Good commercial awareness and market focus
- Excellent communication skills and knowledge sharing ability