Senior Product Development Specialist

 

As the world leader in nutrition, health and wellness for children from birth to preschool, Gerber Products Company is committed to creating a strong future. We joined the Nestlé Nutrition family in 2007, and have been a partner in parenthood ever since. Our Anything for Baby team works closely with experts to create products that enrich and establish healthy habits for children, and are good for the planet as well. A career at Gerber provides meaningful opportunities to develop professionally, and nurture generations to come. Now is the time to define your future, and ours too.

 

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

 

 

Sr. Product Development Specialist - Technical Applications Group (TAG)

 

Position Summary:

The Senior Product Development Specialist within the Technical Applications Group at Nestlé Nutrition will support the Healthy Snacks category, encompassing products for infants, toddlers, and older children. This role will act as the technical lead to identify solutions, deliver innovation and renovation agenda, and drive optimization and improvement projects managing for cost, quality and compliance. Additionally, they will represent the Technical Applications Group as the subject matter expert, ensuring effective knowledge transfer to the factories.

 

Responsibilities:

 

1. Implementation of Innovation & Renovation Strategy for the Supported Product Categories in the Market
   • Lead product development activities from concept to commercialization to introduce new products and processes within factories, ensuring safety, stability, and legality.
   • Act as the technical lead and apply leadership, coaching and influencing skills to steer the project on-time, on-budget, meeting key success criteria and consumer desire. 
   • Partner with global experts within Nestlé to leverage innovative capabilities and drive product superiority.
2. Drive Continuous Improvement of Existing Products/Processes Enabling Local Business Need and Supply Demands:
   • Lead technical projects utilizing product development expertise across manufacturing operations, raw material sourcing, quality improvements, cost savings, and compliance. Take ownership and lead those initiatives with good project management practices.
   • Drive quality initiatives using Nestlé systems for ingredient qualification, supplier onboarding, technical acceptance, and regulatory compliance. Lead recipe optimizations to enhance manufacturability while ensuring compliance.
   • Apply advanced problem-solving skills and scientific knowledge to unlock operational excellence.
3. Ensure Adherence to All Product, Process and Material Standards
   • Lead the onboarding, evaluation, and qualification of raw materials and suppliers including assessment for allergens and claims.
   • Identify, influence, and lead the development of the product and process standards in compliance with Nestlé requirements, external regulations and industry benchmarks. 
4. Provide First Line of Support to Factories:
   • Provide subject matter expertise, especially in the areas of ingredient, recipe and processing to ensure consistent production of high-quality products.