Job Summary

At IFF, we work tirelessly to discover food ingredient solutions that inspire customers and delight consumers. Passionate, creative, empowered and expert, we are constantly looking for new challenges—and developing new-to-world solutions that answer them. 
As the Application Design Team Leader for Inventive, a subsidiary of IFF under Specialties BU, you are responsible for leading a high performing team of 9 food application designers creating the most innovative inclusions in the areas of Bakery, Extrusion, Confectionary, Bubble application technology, Sauces etc. You will also be responsible to define the strategy and priorities for the Application team. In addition, you will work in close cooperation with Sales, Operations, and Marketing departments within IFF to ensure smooth execution of pipeline [Application and commercial] projects and ensure coordination, knowledge sharing & training with(in) the application organization. As such you will be a key player to help realize the BU growth ambitions. In this role you report into the Global Product Line Manager, Inventive.

How you will contribute and lead:

Implement, Monitor, Evaluate plans for the improvement and development of the Applications Design function in Inventive.  This includes close dialogue with the Commercial and Operation teams at Inventive.Lead and coordinate customer project execution, ensure all resources are in place to maximize project win rate.Identify new opportunities for creating inclusions in our target categories, formulate ideas as to how these can be turned into new products for customers.Guide team to develop new products, from concept to final product, while evaluating risk of every stage.Plan overall activities for the Applications Department in close dialogue with other departments such as Commercial, Operations, Quality, Customer Service, Procurement.Coordinate and prioritize application activities (TSR, project support) to support the Inventive growth pipeline globally and realize 10% growth yoy.Support commercial team in complex customer projects (product, regulatory compliance, scale up etc) to design the right solution for the customerVisits key and high potential accounts on need-to basis with regards to pro- and reactive projects – jointly with the Commercial teamProvide (on time) together with Commercial, Marketing, Sensory Consumer Insight, all information necessary for the service of the accounts. This includes: Concept/product samples for customer visits / workshops / Innovation daysEnsure Inventive application knowledge sharing & alignment (key learning/new findings, best practices) across the IFF innovation network (R&D, regional application teams), coordinate global project across regional teams & identify/develop a network of external partners/outsourced services that could facilitate geographical expansion.Develops direct reports through training programs, coaching, and leading by example.

What you will need to be successful:

It is essential that the Application Design Team Leader possesses skills such as:Ability to motivate the Application Design Team Group Managers and Staff.Ability to communicate effectively with all relevant parts of the organization as well as external stakeholders and customers as required.A strong background in leading  Application & technical support teams, across multiple cultural & organizational types.The position requires a thorough knowledge about food ingredients and flavors (inclusions if possible) and uses of the products to recommend appropriate technical solutions to customer problems.Bachelors degree in food technology, 10+ years of experience in the food industry2 or 3 years exposure to interdepartmental cross-functional team roles (leader, participant, manager, etc.) and 2 years in people leadership roleSpecific knowledge about the food areas most important are Beverages, Bakery, Dairy, Frozen desserts, ConfectionaryA creative attribute and an openness to others creative / innovative ideas.People orientation - can orchestrate multiple (virtual) teams/players across functions and matrixes and gets everybody to pull in the same direction. Connects people from different parts of the organization and builds strong relationships at all levels.Energetic self-starter with a “can do” attitude, high degree of autonomy and flexibility. Willing to look beyond existing scope of job.Innovation mindset - ability to develop and maintain strong market & application insights - leverage category, ingredient and competitive intelligence to capture innovation opportunities.Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English & familiar with interacting with different cultural backgrounds.Familiar with Data bases / IT on a user level.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more