Head of Scientific Innovation

Fancy leading a team that literally shapes the future of food? Want to join a company with a diverse portfolio, whilst keeping its focus on ingredients whilst competitors spread themselves more and more thinly across other industries?

We’re looking for a Research & Innovation leader with a strong track record across starch, cellulose or hydrocolloids, who isn’t afraid to turn bold ideas into real, scalable products.

You’ll lead a team of highly experienced scientists and technologists in taking conceptual ideas for polysaccharides and developing each one through a robust stage gate process. If you’ve got experience of leading teams, deep expertise in carbohydrate chemistry, and can turn commercial requirements into new ingredients, then we want to talk with you.

What you’ll do:

• Lead and inspire a long-standing team of highly educated, brilliant scientists and technologists
• Decide how to use resources smartly, when to call in partners, and when to challenge the status quo
• Meet international colleagues (largely virtually) to present new ideas from your department and keep up to date with other global initiatives
• Solve problems nobody else can! You’ll balance technical feasibility with commercial opportunity
• Develop new, as well as improve raw materials, for applications as diverse as infant nutrition, supplements, beverages and dairy products

What we’re looking for:

The non-negotiables include:

• 8+ years in the food industry, with an emphasis on chemistry, biochemistry or enzymology
• 3+ years people leadership experience – whilst this is a larger team, we need to see that you’ve managed a team of at least 4 scientists/technologists/technicians
• A strategic mindset, with the ability to look years ahead
• Excellent communication skills – fluent English is a minimum, with other languages beneficial

What we’re not looking for:

• An Applications Manager. This isn’t an applications role – it’s a position in which you need to understand the molecules and be the senior leader that the scientific team require.

Apply now if you’re ready for a new start in 2026. If you have a family to consider, there’s excellent international schooling available locally, in a location where you’ll have a fantastic quality of life.