Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Investigate and develop the sensory methodology with suppliers on fit for purpose consumer research and establishes sensory tasting methods for category/product drivers of liking. Lead competitive mapping and new category entry sensory indexes.
• Develop regional sensory and culinary strategy. Work with global sensory and culinary expertise and bring best practises to AMEA.
• Establish and work through networks with appropriate internal and external sensory expertise to facilitate region learning on sensory best practices.
• Creates high impact sensory technical solutions to emerging business issues. Builds consumer centric mindset and ensures company's recognition and credibility - manages and influences stakeholders through holistic food / packaging learning plans.
• Stays abreast with culinary trends and lead research to correlate instrumental and sensory methodology to predict sensory attribute intensities
• Networks with suppliers and knowledge centers to create sensory COP (community of practice) for COE (Centre of Excellence) and BUs of AMEA- R&D.
• Drives sensory competency and sensory capability building across AMEA in strong partnership with global R&D and trigonal marketing insights team.
• Anticipates business issues in a dynamic, competitive environment and develops the appropriate sensory programs (includes adoption/integration of new tools).
• Ensures early-phase collaboration between all project stakeholders (R&D, businesses and others) to facilitate sharing and alignment in consumer and sensory (objectives, plan, outcomes, existing knowledge) and safeguards build-up of consumer and sensory expertise, tools and techniques and their dissemination within the product category/ business
• Keeps up with new developments in the fields of Sensory and Consumer Research and leverage learnings and works with outside organizations, suppliers and universities to improve sensory methods and our client Sensory Science networks.

Requirements:

Technical Expertise:

• Recognized as a sensory expert in a discipline across the organization.
• Identifies future consumer sensory and culinary trends that lead to a competitive advantage for the company. Able to interpret external studies and collate internal knowledge in a way that enhances the company's competitive position.
• Maintains thorough understanding of scientific advances, industry trends, competition technologies, nutritional & regulatory issues.

Networking, Project Planning & Execution

• Demonstrate strong networking, communication, collaboration & negotiation skills.
• Develops the plan for preparation of proposal, business ROI (return on investment), milestone & quantifiable measurement metrices for collaborative projects. Provides significant input toward resolving conflicts in the project timeline. Manages conflicts between timelines, stakeholders & internal/external service providers.
• Has the ability to proactively plan for potential barriers and pitfalls before they happen. Achieves objectives even in the face of major resistance & challenging obstacles.

Leveraging Resources

• Initiates and maintains extensive contacts with key technical personnel and officials of other organizations and companies.
• Proactively seeks out experts, both internally and externally to broaden skill sets and develop new competencies.
• Coordinates activities between external and internal resources effectively.
• Identifies and coordinates resources to solve technical problems in an efficient and timely manner. Sets performance goals and provides clear and specific expectations.

Business Understanding

• Has enough knowledge of other functions as to adequately represent their interests on project teams or technical support projects.
• Remains well informed of state of the business unit in terms of net sales and market share for base brands as well as new product launches.
• Leverages business knowledge to drive down project time/costs and anticipates obstacles affecting other business functions.
• Critically assesses and challenges other function's strategies as they relate to a project.

Leadership

• Contributes high impact insight and recommendations to the development of plans and strategies for R&D. Serves leadership role in making improvements to policies and processes within the department
• Functions as an integral part of the R&D team, participating in the management and development of the department, selecting, evaluating, and prioritizing the project work

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• This job typically requires a Postgraduate in Food Technology/ Food Science/ Food Sensory with minimum 12-15 years' relevant experience with leading innovation and renovation focused sensory programs, or a PhD in Food Technology or related discipline with 8-9 years' experience in handling Food Consumer Science/Sensory.
• The incumbent must possess leadership, cost consciousness, communication skills, and diplomacy that will promote good relations with all facets of management and other technical and scientific disciplines in the effective execution of projects to accomplish Corporate and Area objectives and demanding schedules.
• This individual must be able to function effectively as a Sensory Leader, Planner, Coordinator, Communicator and Senior Technical Expert.

Key Relationships

• Reports to - Sr. Director - AMEA COE,
• Key contacts and interfaces for this role both internally and externally

Partner and collaborates with:

• Global, regional and BU based partnerships
• Product Development
• Product and Consumer Science team
• Shelf Life Scientist
• Packaging
• Managed services' teams
• Insights and Planning
• Marketing
• Chemistry
• External Consultants as needed and identified.
• External network in sensory field.

• Supervises- Currently individual contributor, leading AMEA sensory and Culinary community of practice; May have 2/3 people reporting to the position holders in future depending on organizational decision.

Dimensions:

• Influences PCS OP budget and ensures adequate controls are in place to properly manage the PCS budget, seeking ways to reduce costs.
• Responsible for sensory protocols and establishing sensory training for K-AMEA.

Other Location:

• Singapore