Director CI&TS APAC Cocoa & AMEA Product Expert Lead

•This role is responsible for CI&TS function in 3 country clusters (Japan & Korea, South Pacific, APAC Cocoa) and Regional Product Lead in AMEA.

•This role leads teams based in 4 locations (Takasaki, Melbourne, Pasir Gudang & Singapore).

•This role acts as business partners to 3 MDs/VPs (Japan/Korea, South Pacific and Cocoa APAC).

•This role leads directly Global Cocoa CoE function and team in APAC, with a matrix reporting line to Global CoE Cocoa

•This role acts as AMEA Product Lead to drive AMEA strategy and initiatives in Cocoa, Chocolate, Cacao Coating & Filling, Packaging, via partnering with various global product CoEs.

Activities:

•Drives the CI&TS priorities within his/her regional scope.

•Directs a team of in line with the overall CI&TS roadmap and business strategy.

•Acts as the face to the customer by advising customers on application and choice of the right product suitable for their setup.

•Ensures that technical support is provided to existing and new customers.

•Creates new market opportunities by leveraging the customer network and product innovations.

•Runs training courses about the full product range and application for customers.

•Is responsible for the supervision and development of the members of his team and providing guidance in critical situations internally & externally.
• As Customer facing role and the face to the customer by advising customers in application and choice of the right product range, suitable to the installation and physical environment of the customer's plants.

• Work closely with and advise Sales and Marketing linked to specific product or application needs suitable to the brand’s operational footprint and align on product presentations.

• Prepare, participate to and follow-up meetings to gather and discuss market, customer and end-user insights.

• Provide technical support to existing and new customers, and create new market opportunities.

• Ensures a good overview of a customer's capabilities, product portfolio, future projects and launches.

• Assures development of internal and external client relations and maintains communication.

• Drafts clear project briefs for the Product Experts; Technical Lifecycle Management.

• Works with Product Experts to challenge customer requests.

• Establish continuous knowledge transfer from customer to Product Experts, Technical Lifecycle Management and Technical Services.

• Present findings such as customer needs and views internally to achieve shared goals.

• Ensure that a long-term application service is maintained and reviewed with all customers.

• Take the lead in organizing/running trainings, assigning the right people and involves other CI&TS functions where necessary – for customers and potentially internal staff as well.

• Jointly analyze with the Product Experts results obtained in the production of the samples produced on the pilot equipment.

• As a team lead is responsible for supervising and developing the members of his/her team (which includes setting the right KPIs, Individual development plans etc), and is guiding in critical situations.

As Customer Facing Technical Lead (Customer R&D) - Shared responsibility (~25%)

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Obtain Insights to Better Understand Trends and Customer Needs and

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Generate ideas; Translate Insights into Concrete Ideas for Specific Customers, e.g.Brainstorm between Product Experts, Technical Service, Sales and Marketing

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Demonstrate New Products to Customers and Check Interest, e.g. Inspiration Day or customer meetings.

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Regular customer visits with or without sales.

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Receive Request from Customer to Create a New or Modify an Existing Solution (eg for productivity);

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Balance Time and Resource Effort vs. Benefits of the Request, e.g. Discuss Feasibility, Assess risks , Ensure Compliance with Business Standards.

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Define application Types Conform Customers Specs

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Collect Customer Feedback on Samples and Testings and Define Next Steps in

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Product Creation; Receive Customer Feedback on Industrial Trials and Define refinements if Needed

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Communicate and Align with Customer and Stakeholders on Project Content and status
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Perform Onsite and Offsite Customer General Trainings with the support of Product Expert / Application team

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Provide Physical or Remote Assistance to Industrial Trials at Customers for new products with the support of the Technical Service Team

As Business Lead (business partner to MDs/Sales VP) – Sole responsibility (~20%)

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Defines the CI&TS customer strategy for the region, in collaboration with sales and marketing to ensure that business targets are met (eg project & opportunity pipeline, key customer pipeline etc).

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Ensure team resources are allocated efficiently following the customer priority, and business opportunity

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Ensures the right tools and processes are in place to report the project pipeline & progress in the region.

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Foresees and manages the budget for the function.

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Identifies regional customers to partner with to bring BC innovations.

As AMEA Product Lead- Sole responsibility (~40%)

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Lead Global Cocoa CoE activities in APAC region with a team leadership responsibility

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Defines AMEA strategy in product categories including cocoa, chocolate, cacao coating & filling.

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Execute AMEA key initiatives in cocoa, chocolate, cacao coating & filling

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Build leading product expertise in CI&TS AMEA team

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Coordinate with global CoEs in Cocoa, Chocolate, Cacao Coating & Filling, Packaging, to be aligned with AMEA growth strategy

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Lead AMEA Regional Product Committee and all Local Product Committee in all sites in AMEA

As CI&TS lead for the country cluster (part of AMEA CI&TS Leadership Team) - Sole responsibility (~15%)

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Leads the CI&TS team & supports on internal and external matters

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Translate the customer strategy into smart goals for the team.

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Monitors the team performance to ensure objectives are met

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Develop employees & strong team; create an individual learning & development plan and ensure completion.

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Translates the BC D&I strategy into a plan to achieve the proper diversity and physiological safety to boost performance as a team.

Requirements:
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Master's degree level in a Science or Engineering discipline, or equivalent, preferably in Food Science.

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Minimal 15-20 years of experience in a relevant field

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Minimal 10-15 years in similar team management role

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Fluent in English

The ideal candidate has a solid base in food science (or similar) at MSc level, is customer-focused, has a keen sense of commercial impact, is an effective communicator, and displays excellent, proven leadership skills. The candidate is result-driven, can translate customer needs into viable solutions, can translate strategy into action and can lead the team in this journey.
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Customer focused, with proven customer experience

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Profound knowledge of chocolate & compound R&D, Project management, and Chocolate/Cocoa Environment

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Knowledge of a wide range of chocolate, compound & cocoa applications.

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Has been leading a team in the past.