R&D Assistant Manager - UFS

Work Location: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

JOB PURPOSE

Vietnam UFS R&D Assistant Manager plays a crucial role by providing thought leadership, steering and delivering critical parts of VN UFS strategy including growing the core through product superiority and building the categories of today and tomorrow. As a business partner, you will shape and execute the strategy, ensuring your delivery in line with business priorities.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

Be the R&D technical business partner of VN UFS Business Team to drive growth and profitability ambitions; ensure holistic product superiority, business continuity and execution excellence; deliver impactful innovations and work closely with key operator groups to address their needs & provide best solutions.

• Ensure current and future products meet performance, quality, and regulatory standards on key consumer, brand, nutrition, and sustainability requirements.
• Own the holistic product superiority agenda of UFS VN Trusted Top 10 portfolio, delivering claims and selling stories to support communications. Technical approval of all product’s relevant messages in advertising and activation (TVC, print, outdoor, PR/media) in cooperation with legal, regulatory and nutritionist.
• Partner with Customer Development (CD) and Marketing (MKT) teams to develop activation campaigns with strong product and technology stories and demos versus the competition. Training of relevant business partners (production, customer service, QA, CD, MKT,…) on technical aspects of product portfolio/category and/or new product launches.
• Collaborate with project leads to take projects to Local/Regional Investor Boards (IBs), upholding discipline in the Innoflex system, work closely with other R&D capabilities like Technical Project Leaders, Formulator, Packaging Developers, Consumer Technical Insights (CTI) and Nutritionist of Regional Deploy Centers (RDC) counterparts within SEA to deliver local projects. Main accountabilities & decision-making requirements:
• Delivery of project on time in full (OTIF).
• Contribute to scoping projects, clarify objectives and key milestones.
• Ongoing internal and external stakeholder management.
• Managing interdependencies, risks and trade-offs across the projects.
• Driving the projects through key decisions points.
• Owner of gate documents, presentations during gate-keeping meetings in Regional IBs.
• Owner of product quality, validation testing, specifications, artworks, factory trials, first production, and technical risk assessments.
• Deliver technical readiness for sustainable packaging solutions and drive agreed Vietnam UFSs sustainable packaging landing plan OTIF.
• Contribute to GM improvement programs in identified cells, delivering technology-led product/packaging savings and process improvement initiatives while maintaining superiority.
• Lead troubleshooting and crisis management activities in partnership with key interfaces, keeping business protection and maintaining service delivery as top priorities.
• Deliver Alternative Supplier Approval/ Alternative Materials Approval/Material Simplification for VN business continuity.
• Commit to continuous personal development and professional growth through active participation in development initiatives within VN R&D Foods and UFS R&D SEASAMETA community.
• Ensure compliance with the Unilever Code of Business Principles and all SHE and QA policies, risk management, and environmental awareness and legislation.

EXPECTED R&D EXPERTISE CAPABILITY

 Relevant Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in food technology, food science, engineering, or related fields.
• Strong proven experience in Formulation/Packaging Development, R&D Project Deployment Business Partnering
• Experience in leading project as Workstream Leader or Technical Project Lead is encouraged to apply
• Previous Foods R&D experience in cooking aids and/or condiments is preferred.

Key Skill

• Product development, scale-up, and project management.
• Stakeholder management and leading non-reporting teams.
• Working with diverse, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong communication and presentation abilities.
• Growth mindset, externally oriented and collaborative thinking.
• Problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset.
• Adaptability and agility in challenging situations.
• Entrepreneurial, positive, solution-oriented mindset.
• Results-driven with strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Fluent in English.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.