Product Expert Chocolate Decorations

About the Role

The Product Expert Chocolate Decoration Zundert is a key member of the Global CI&TS Choco Decoration team, reporting to the Global CI&TS Lead Choco Decorations. This role is instrumental in shaping the future of chocolate decorations by managing New Product Introduction (NPI) and value engineering projects, ensuring seamless execution from ideation to industrialization

Choco Decorations serves all customer types (Global Accounts, Food Manufacturers, and Gourmet customers) seeking differentiation, premiumization, and personalization. The Product Expert Chocolate Decoration drives product innovation and excellence by leading the development of new products, optimizing existing processes, and collaborating closely with internal and external peers to create high-quality, scalable, and globally relevant products.

As a product owner, Product Expert Decorations is responsible for the full lifecycle of the Chocolate Decoration products made in the Zundert Plant.

As a recognized expert, he/she serves as the central point of contact for all technical products, packaging, and raw material-related topics.

About the Role

Scope:

The Product Expert Chocolate Decoration is part of the Global CI&TS Choco Decoration team. This team is responsible for all CI&TS activities for the dedicated Decorations production sites globally (Barry Callebaut Decorations in Zundert (NL), EEC (BE), Hendersonville (USA)) and for Chocolate Decoration products produced in non-dedicated decorations production sites (Novisad (SRB) and Halle (BE)). The product portfolio includes (but does not solely exist of ) products such as shavings, pencils, blossoms, rolls, curls, grids, open decorations, irregular chunks, vermicelli, splitters, granelli, and panned and enrobed products based on chocolate, compounds and derived.

The Product Expert Decorations is responsible for controlling the interaction between the mechanical process and the physical properties of the chocolate. They are the expert in chocolate's physical properties and processability into decorations, as well as in chocolate as raw material for the complete Decoration product portfolio.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development phase for customer- and consumer-driven NPI, from project approval to handover to production, ensuring the desired product quality within the agreed lead time
• Responsible for setting up and monitoring lab and production trials, in collaboration with relevant disciplines, reporting outcomes of tests, presenting tests and results at local test meetings
• Estimate the technical feasibility of product innovation/renovations supported by R&D process experts, Operations, Production, and QA
• Support Financial experts in cost price estimations of product innovation/renovations
• Product owner of decoration products within scope and field of expertise, responsible for technical life cycle management of products within own portfolio in close collaboration with technical lifecycle specialist
• Member of local product committees and meetings
• Leads the continuous improvement of the raw material portfolio in terms of cost reduction, quality improvement, and compliance with legal and market requirements by proactively generating, executing, and implementing improvement activities and projects
• Support co-creation days and innovative sessions for customers by providing product expertise, developing product concepts and prototype samples
• Responsible for generating innovative project ideas within the business strategy (rephrase)
• Project manager of internal projects (e.g. cost reduction), thereby being responsible for leading the multidisciplinary project team, managing the project stakeholders, and delivering the required results within the agreed time
• Build in-house expertise on the product, raw material, and packaging technology within the field of expertise and translate it into state-of-the-art products, projects, and training
• Being up-to-date on the latest trends and developments within the field of expertise by means of regular contacts with R&D communities, commercial stakeholders, suppliers, visits to fairs etc.
• Contributes as an expert team member to Decorations innovation, renovation, and continuous improvement projects driven by regional and global R&D by providing expertise, executing trials, and presenting results written and orally
• Ensure knowledge transfer within and beyond the Decorations business unit by providing raw material, product, and packaging expertise and training within the field of expertise and by networking with internal and external R&D communities.

About You

• Master's Degree in Science, Engineering, or similar, specification depending on the field of expertise
• At least 5y of relevant experience within R&D, preferably within the food industry
• Fluent in English, Fluent in Dutch is plus
• Good knowledge of working tools (MS Office, SAP,…)
• Experience with project management is a plus
• Understanding of end-to-end product development processes
• Good communication skills
• Strong project management skills
• Acknowledged expert within the field of expertise
• Team player who knows how to manage a diversity of stakeholders
• Proactive improver
• Problem-solving mindset
• Passion for the chocolate industry
• Affinity with trends and innovation within the field of expertise