Founded in Belgium in 1919, Puratos is growing rapidly with over 9000 employees in 74 countries, with a consolidated turnover of over €1,9 billion in 2018. Our passion for innovation, pioneering spirit and core values continue to propel our global ambitions. This coupled with our commitment to our communities is what makes working at Puratos so magical.

Position Overview               

Based at Puratos Ethiopia head office in Addis Ababa, in order to strengthen our local management team, we are currently seeking an:

R&D Manager

Reporting directly to General Manager, functionally reporting to Regional R&D Manager MENA & Africa and as a member of the Management team of Puratos Ethiopia, the successful candidate for this key function will be responsible for:

• Defining the technical needs for Ethiopia and manage the R&D team and develop the talent of the team members.
• Promoting innovation in the company.
• Give strong support to Operations to start the lines and
• Manage the Innovation Center + team.

Key Accountabilities

• Development of their competencies in R&D for powder products and wet products.
• Drive developments of new bakery, patisserie and chocolate products and concepts for all customer segments
• Provide proactive technical support to business development (sales, marketing):
• Training of sales people and demonstrators
• Customer visits
• Presentations to customers
• Assure high level technical support and good commercial contacts with key accounts
• Provide R&D support to production (for technical & quality issues, obsolete stock, SKU management…)
• Manage the TA & the Innovation Center
• Develop the R&D team depending on the business evolution
• Interact with regional team and HQ in order to keep local team informed and trained on latest Group Innovations/technologies and actively promotes the implementation of these innovations in the country.
• Ensure that all technical data linked to products (data sheet, declaration, formulas…) are always correct & comply with food legislation
• Ensure confidentiality of formulas and protection of know-how respecting the Group golden rules of know-how protection
• Operation support – Select the right raw materials, define the process to produce, and define the QC for raw materials and finished products.
• 30% travelling required

Profile

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science & Technology, Food Engineering, or related field
• Advanced degrees would be a plus
• At least 5 years of experience in food-related R&D position, preferable from the bakery, patisserie, or chocolate field.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory.
• Strong knowledge and/ or interest in food ingredients and applications
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong presentation and commercial skills
• Analytical and quality oriented
• Business Driven

Offer

Puratos provides a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment that encourages our people to take initiatives and bring ideas that will contribute to the success of the company. Of course, Puratos offers a competitive package (salary, group insurance, healthcare, training…) but additionally, offers you a position that you can further develop and shape