EUKANUBA Global Product Development Officer

Royal Canin • Creve Coeur, MO, US • 3d ago

This position plays a critical role in advancing that ambition by assuming end-to-end Product Development responsibility for the EUKANUBA brand. This includes overseeing the maintenance, renovation, and innovation of products. The role encompasses the validation of product performance and the creation of essential launch documentation.

This role will work closely with the Demand team to identify and prioritize opportunities for product renovation and innovation. Frame innovation opportunities and guide them through the FEF and QuEST processes, ensuring project success and alignment with strategic objectives. Engaging with Research teams to leverage potential TRL (Technology Readiness Level) outputs and integrate them into product development.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree (preferably in food science, biology or any health science background)
5+ years or more, experience in managing complex projects in a changing environment
Experience in user centricity
Position with numerous interfaces demanding transversal management practices and good communication skills.
Ability to adapt and manage multiple ongoing projects.
Knowledge of Food Technology, Food Safety, and Nutrition is an asset.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree in food technology, biology or any health science background

What will be your key responsibilities?

Generate insights and opportunities in Pre-quest

The role brings added value to our offer by shaping our innovations for cats and dogs to also answer to customers and pet owners’ needs:

Follows markets’ technical trends
Leads Design thinking (using FEF process) with demand innovation teams
Explores potential answers to those pain points with internal capabilities
Influences 360° New Product Request from Demand Innovation Team focusing on value creation by leveraging above explorations

Develop proven products and hand over to deploy

Leads the project through QuEST from NPR to hand-over
Facilitates the handover from Research to Design teams by:
- Influencing research protocols for fast & efficient implementation with EUKANUBA
- Includes End to End Sustainability impact in Design
- Interacts closely with Marketing and Regulatory teams (Global, Regional and Local) to define the project brief content (including Scope, CSFs and targets) and its feasibility all over the world
- Is Responsible for the consistency of the product Design including claims
- Defines the content of the product and packaging design brief, ensuring all criteria and conditions required for the product to perform with pets and pet owners are listed, and aligns it with the demand team
- Leads Formula Logic creation and review with all stakeholders and assure CSFs
- Aligns and builds with scientific support the formulation logic for new products (including all constraints and insights) and works with the formulation team to propose formulas
- Ensures the availability and readiness of raw materials and equipment, and, where necessary, prepares appropriate adaptations in alignment with the project brief and CSF, to proactively manage potential roadblocks or dead ends.
- Defines qualification criteria and physical specifications for the new product with the project team (KQA)
- Ensures the availability and readiness of raw materials and equipment, and, where necessary, prepares appropriate adaptations in alignment with the project brief and CSF, to proactively manage potential roadblocks or dead ends.
- Check consistency of development with the current product portfolio (in different regions)

Technical lead of the Design inside R&D and with global functions

The role leads and animates technical workstream within the R&D and with Global functions, for Innovation projects from QuEST:

Leads and coordinates with all teams the technical risk analysis for the Project
Ensures the availability and readiness of raw materials and equipment, and, where necessary, prepares appropriate adaptations in alignment with the project brief and CSF, to proactively manage potential roadblocks or dead ends.
Ensures the technical representation of Projects during technical and decision forum (GPMR, Project Steering Committee…) in collaboration with Global Project Managers
Can take part as Speaker during Launching events thanks to their recognised functional expertise

What can you expect from Mars?

Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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