Associate Senior R&D Technologist

Job description

**Come to be part of the team that dreams and implements the future of the food industry at Kraft Heinz.** **Here in the Growth Team - we believe the future can be different. Product Innovation needs to be more consumer centric so we can bring even more impact to consumers’ lives!** **Job Title:** Associate Senior R&D Technologist (Product Developer) **Location:** Nijmegen (The Netherlands) **About the Position** This position lies within the **EU R&D Product Development Team**. You’ll be working in a high performing team, alongside peers always trying to reach the next level. You’ll be reporting to the **R&D Head of Culinary Tomato**. You’ll lead product development projects end-to-end and be accountable for delivery, from benchtop through factory validation. You’ll combine hands-on technical work (formulation, trials, scale-up readiness) with project leadership, clear cross-functional alignment, and data-based decision-making. **What you’ll do** - Lead new product launches from benchtop to factory validation, owning milestones, timeline, and delivery. - Define formulation strategy within the brief, including feasibility constraints, validation approach, and key trade-offs. - Drive prototype development and technical execution (formulation, trials, tastings, scale-up readiness) with clear next steps. - Align Marketing, Procurement, Quality, and Operations on feasibility reality, decision gates, and risks to avoid surprises. - Maintain a living risk log, surface issues early, and recommend scope/plan adjustments to protect outcomes. - Ensure regulatory, quality, claims, nutritional, and cost readiness as the work moves toward implementation. - Supervise interns and guide junior colleagues; review their work and provide go/no-go recommendations. **Soft skills needed** - Strong project management and organizational skills to manage competing priorities and deadlines. - Resilience and emotional intelligence to build collaborative relationships and resolve most project-level disputes. - Negotiation and influencing skills to challenge unrealistic briefs or timelines with data and alternatives. - Constructive and solution-oriented under pressure, translating shifting stakeholder needs into clear next steps. **Qualifications & Experience** - **Education:** BSc and/or MSc in Food Science / Food Science & Technology (or equivalent in a related field such as Biology, Chemistry, Engineering) - **Work experience:** - 3–5 years’ experience in an R&D development role - Proven track record of bringing products to market - Experience in both product & packaging development - Experience working in an international company and complex / matrix organization - **Language:** Business proficient English **What good looks like in this role** - You challenge timelines and cost targets with data, options, and clear decision gates. - You build trust across functions through clarity, proactive alignment, and “no surprises.” - You make timely calls that balance speed and robustness, protecting quality and manufacturability. - You show business awareness, including margin, cost, and scalability implications of technical decisions. **What we offer you** At Kraft Heinz, we’re not afraid to think differently. Embrace new ideas. Dream big. It all comes down to the way we empower our people to own their work. It’s true: Our employees are what makes us successful. As part of the Kraft Heinz family, you’re supported to grow and achieve and will be recognized and rewarded for outstanding performance at every level. - An ambitious employer; we only want the best for our people - A fast career track like only few other companies can match - Permanent contract; we believe in doing big bets on talent - Always room for new insights; if you have a phenomenal idea, please let us know, and we can set it in action! **Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.**