Senior R&D Manager

The Senior Research and Development Manager is a key function which will be responsible for profitable business growth of the product category through the development of innovative solutions, business development, cost optimization, operational support and optimal resource planning.

 

Primary Responsibilities

             

• Manage R&D team and output
  • Align the R&D activities with sales, marketing and operations expectations
  • Continuously challenge the optimal use & efficiency of R&D and measure with KPI
  • Assure a pipeline of talent and ensure competence building in an environment of self-motivation and interdependency

 

• Contribute actively to the category strategy

• Identify market / product opportunities and threats and implement action plans accordingly
• Implement and support the yearly initiatives and actions
• Closely follow the sales results and propose measures to ensure profitable growth
• Ensure a functional link with the BU responsible in the Head Quarters

 

• Business Development support to Sales for product categories
• Identify new business opportunities at large customers (prospection)
• Detect products at risk
• Implement appropriate solutions (existing and new)
• Make internal and external presentation and seminars explaining benefits of our products
• Participate in strategic exercises intending to develop our business in the above mentioned products. This should be based on a good understanding of the local market

 

• Development of new products and concepts
  • Formulation of products in line with the yearly marketing plan by active participation in the Stage & Gate process
  • Tailor-made customer demands by following our Stage process

 

• Adaptation of existing formulas
  • Cost reduction programs maintaining performances, including raw material rationalization
  • Participate pro-actively in optimization of existing portfolios (sku reduction, positioning, ...)

 

• Support Operations and TQM
  • Support in case of quality issues : judging, root-cause analysis and rework
  • Ensure all steps are respected for a faultless implementation of new products in production
  • Review on a yearly base with qc the non-conformities and look for optimizations
  • Support the tqm requirements

 

• Manage accurately all technical administration
  • Ensure complete documentation on raw materials, formulations, process parameters, item requests, QC tests, labelling, TDS... On new or revised products;
  • Build an accessible project do