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Job Description & How to Apply Below
Location:
Italy (Onsite)
Role Overview
My client is seeking an experienced Director of R&D to lead innovation and product development across its pet food ingredient portfolio. This is a senior leadership role combining hands‑on technical expertise, people leadership, and strategic input at European level. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping future product pipelines, supporting customer‑specific formulation work, and contributing to M&A technical evaluations, while building and leading a high‑performing R&D team in a newly established laboratory environment.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and develop an R&D team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellence.
Drive the development of new products across pet food applications.
Oversee the continuous improvement and optimisation of existing products, focusing on performance, palatability, stability, and cost efficiency.
Translate customer requirements into tailored formulations, working closely with commercial and technical stakeholders to deliver differentiated solutions.
Provide technical and formulation expertise to support customer projects and strategic partnerships.
Conduct technical due diligence and product analysis for potential M&A targets, assessing formulation robustness, scalability, and innovation potential.
Operate within and help shape workflows in a newly built laboratory, supporting method development, testing, and validation.
Act as a member of the European leadership team, contributing to R&D strategy, innovation roadmaps, and long‑term growth plans across Europe.
Candidate Profile
10–15 years’ experience in R&D within ingredients, nutrition, or pet food/feed-related industries.
Master’s degree or PhD in Animal Nutrition, Food Science, or a closely related discipline.
Proven experience working with palatants and/or antioxidants (pet food experience preferred but not mandatory).
Demonstrated people leadership experience, including managing and developing technical teams.
Strong formulation mindset with the ability to link customer needs to commercially viable solutions.
Comfortable operating in a senior, cross‑functional and international environment.
Business‑professional English required (Italian advantageous but not essential).
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive base salary.
Annual bonus.
Comprehensive insurance policies.
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