Job Summary

Joining science and creativity, we are an international collective of thinkers who partner with customers to bring scents, tastes, experiences, ingredients and solutions for products the world craves.

We now have an opportunity for an experienced talent to join our South Korea team as Product Specialist in support of IFF’s Health business unit.

The Product Specialist is responsible for helping to drive customer projects to a successful conclusion and addressing customer-specific requests. This primarily involves helping to create dietary supplement products containing probiotics for our customers that are ready to be sold to consumers through a variety of channels (e.g., retail stores, e-commerce, multilevel marketing, etc.).  The Product Specialist is also responsible for supporting key business initiatives and coordinating customer visits to IFF sites.

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Help the North Asia Sub-Regional Industrial Team Leads gather information to assess customer opportunities.

Provides input on feasibility of success and proposed prioritization of projects.

Works with Product Development to develop proposed formulations, produce samples (if required).

Works with Industrial Team Leads and Contract Manufacturing & other related functions to develop packaging proposals & obtain tolling fees.

Works with Q&FS and Regulatory to identify/resolve potential quality/regulatory issues.

Initiates and oversees the progress of all product workflows related to the creation of new products.

Works with Q&FS to get new raw materials approved.

Responsible for assembling information required to fully define the product being created.

Enters the request to create the product  and works with Q&FS to ensure they get setup up in our business systems correctly

Works with customer to get artwork approved for products (where necessary).

Works with Q&FS to create Specifications for products.

Manages artwork changes for products.

Works with customer to get the updated artwork files approved.

Manages the transition timing and coordinates packaging materials with both external and internal team.

Initiates and oversee the progress of all product workflows related to making modifications to existing products.

Gathers information to fully define the requested change and its associated impact.

Enters the request to make the modifications.

Works with Q&FS to ensure the requested changes get implemented correctly.

Works with the Industry Team Leads to manage transition plans.

Manages customer special (non-standard) requests for product information and samples

Manages assigned workflows to support innovation projects or key business initiatives.

Communicates status of projects and performance metrics to stakeholders.

Leading regular (eg: weekly) calls with the Sub-Regional Industry Team Leads.

Coordinates and provides administrative support for IFF Probiotic site visits for customers from all regions.

Occasional travel to industry trade shows, customer locations and 3rd party tollers.

Backup for other product specialists.

Other support duties as assigned.

What you will need to be successful in this role

At least 5-6 years of relevant experience but minimum years of experience requirement will depend on the nature of the related experience and the level of education (e.g., Bachelor’s vs. Master’s degree vs. PhD).

Bachelor’s degree in Technical or Marketing field.

Experience with probiotics and familiarity with customers and product requirements associated with dietary supplements (preferred), Food & Beverage, Pediatric Nutrition and/or Pharma.

Relevant backgrounds including technology/R&D, project management, business development, marketing, sales, and quality assurance.

A proven track record of strong project management skills for both short and long-term projects.

Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.

Proficiency in SAP (or similar ERP) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Ability to influence others and accomplish goals as a strong cross-functional partner.

Excellent customer interaction and communication skills.

Ability to focus and adapt in unpredictable and fast-paced work environment.

Ability to identify and manage risks, assertive and attention to details.

Willing to commit to 20% travel.

Preferred expertise

Prior experience with probiotics manufacturing operations and/or quality management systems.

Prior experience in probiotics, pharma, dietary supplements, or food ingredients industries.

Prior Six Sigma or Lean experience and certifications.

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