The Product Development Scientist will play a pivotal role in supporting the creation of top-tier formulations to drive the growth ambitions of the Health & Wellbeing Collective, with a particular focus on new product development, entering new markets, and building a network of external technical partners and capabilities.
The role will have cross functional interactions and coordination across Marketing, Supply chain, SEAC, Quality, Regulatory and external contract labs & raw material suppliers to ensure timely delivery of the objectives.
The role will be required to provide technical support related to new product development and would cover a broad range of challenges – from designing consumer preferred robust formulas, to developing raw material and finished product spec, scaling up by leveraging external contract labs and collaborative manufacturers.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Lead/support Formulation design work for innovations to deliver superior, design to value and consumer winning products.
- Work seamlessly with other R&D functions (packaging, Consumer Technical Insights, processing, regulatory teams) to ensure delivery on assigned projects.
- Ensuring statutory regulatory & legal compliances for products & process.
- Responsible for identifying and establishing appropriate ingredient and process technology for manufacturing products to specification at lab-scale and pilot-scale.
- Responsible for scaling up to factory with relevant transfer of technology documentation and training factory team.
- Responsible for development of specification, formulation, process, labelling and artwork, and Quality Assurance regimes to support / enforce these specs meet technical action standards.
- Provide support to conduct shelf-life studies to establish shelf-life of new products and/or intervene through formulation/recipes to enhance shelf-life.
- Use appropriate analytical techniques to characterize key attributes of the product.
- Appreciating and engaging with marketing team constantly for insights and translating them into product properties & performance.
- Anticipate assessment and minimization of environmental, safety, regulatory, PR and competitive challenges.
KEY EXPERIENCES & SKILLS
- Bachelor’s degree required in Food Science, Food Technology, Pharmacy, Chemistry, Nutrition Science and Biology. Master’s degree in the relevant fields would be preferred.
- 5 years’ experience in formulation development or technology development (Dietary supplement, beverage/food product development with sweet Flavor experience would be preferred).
- Good understanding of Product development Principles – formulation development for consumer-friendly ingestible dosage forms such as Functional Powders, Mouth-dissolving films, Effervescent tablets etc., material understanding, product scale up, ingredient sources and GMP.
- Demonstrated aptitude for teamwork and collaborative problem-solving, and ability to plan and execute work independently with minimal supervision.
- Outstanding stakeholder management skills, enabling effective support for projects involving multiple external parties such as contractors, research partners, and raw material suppliers, while adeptly balancing and addressing the interests of diverse teams and partners.
- Strong analytical thinking, allowing for effective troubleshooting and data-driven decision-making.
- Strong digital literacy, proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Familiarity with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system is a plus.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED:
- Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities, fostering effective interactions with internal and external parties.
- Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills, enabling efficient handling of multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Proven agility and adaptability in responding to changing project requirements or unexpected challenges.
- Creativity and an innovative mindset for developing novel product concepts and improvements.
- Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in formulation, documentation, and compliance with standards.
- Resilience and perseverance when navigating project setbacks or extended development timelines.
- Proactive approach to continuous learning and professional development, staying abreast of industry trends and regulatory changes.
- Keen commercial awareness, understanding market trends and consumer needs to align product development with business objectives.
Pay: The pay range for this position is $71,400 to $107,200. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.
Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.
Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.
Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.
------------------------------------
At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.
Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.
For more information on your federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal
Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.
If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.
