Job Description

Position Title: Head of Research & DevelopmentPosition Type: Regular - Full-Time xe2x80x8bPosition Location: MalaysiaGrade: Grade 06Requisition ID: 33421Responsibilities and Accountabilities:1. Product and Supply Unit Expertise:

• Maintain deep knowledge of product capabilities, asset line functionality, and current product range across supply units.
• Analyze and understand product attributes, performance against competitive products, and supply unit capabilities to identify agile cross-regional product and packaging opportunities for APACSA.

2. Technical Development and Due Diligence:

• Ensure and ratify technical readiness of new and existing products, including specifications, artwork, and packaging management.
• Lead the stage-gate technical qualification process for products coming from exporting regions and ensure they meet JKSEAT standards.
• Ensure and approve regulatory compliance for all imported products.
• Strengthen sensory evaluation expertise by establishing robust product testing methologies both within McCain and with consumers and customers when needed.
• Collaborate with export market R&D teams to ensure new product development/launches follow the global translocation (lift and launch/adapt) process.

3. Regulatory Compliance and Governance:

• Conduct horizon scanning and make recommendations to SLT of regulatory changes and actions needed to minimize impact for JKSEAT markets.
• Oversee technical governance for product innovation, ensuring that new products are compliant with the technical and regulatory standards of importing regions.

4. Innovation Pipeline Development:

• Build and leverage a deep understanding of potato and appetizer consumption trends across JKSEAT markets to identify innovation opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with marketing to explore and define new product opportunities.
• Engage QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) and MEU customers to build trust, deepen relationships, and identify opportunities for cross-regional product development.
• Develop and lead culinary teams to translate regional flavor profiles and trends into actionable product development projects for export markets.
• Participate in, and enable, innovation reviews to explore "blue sky" ideas, linking them to demand space opportunities.
• Explore co-manufacturing partnerships to expand supply capabilities.

5. Competitive Advantage and Market Insights:

• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of market dynamics, consumer preferences, and competitive products.
• Collaborate with teams to develop briefs aimed at addressing market and consumer product performance disparities. Clearly define boundaries of product modifications, ensuring data-driven decision-making and cost optimisation opportunities and implications are considered.
• Lead competitive product evaluations to ensure that McCainxe2x80x99s product range remains differentiated and relevant.

6. Building Strong Cross-Regional Relationships:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, including R&D, export market managers, regulatory teams, and supply unit operations.
• Establish agile communication and collaboration networks across import and export markets to facilitate technical development, approvals, and rapid responses to product changes or challenges.

Critical Relationships:

• External: Regulatory authorities, QSR and Food Service customers.
• Internal: Export managers, R&D directors, supply unit plant managers, technical operations teams, consumer insights, and culinary experts.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:Qualifications and Experienced Required:

• Bachelorxe2x80x99s or Masters Degree in Food Science or other related Science disciplines.
• Minimum 7-10 years of technical and professional research & development experience in consumer goods, preferably in food.
• Experience managing a team of 2-4 direct reports.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, commercially-driven food company.
• Hands-on approach, motivated to engage in bench and factory trials where required.

Technical and commercial expertise:

• Deep technical expertise in product development, regulatory compliance, and innovation processes.

• Experience enabling functional compliance with relevant Acts/ Legal Requirements, Business Ethics and Food Manufacturing Standards. Knowledge of food safety requirements (microbiological standards, food contaminants).
• General knowledge of manufacturing processes and experience of working in this environment.
• Experience managing product performance and stewardship is desirable.
• Experience working across cross-functional teams, including R&D, marketing, regulatory, and supply chain operations.
• Strong understanding of regional markets within the APACSA region, including consumer behavior and product trends.
• Proven ability to manage technical governance processes and lead complex product innovation pipelines.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills to influence key internal and external stakeholders.
• A strategic mindset with a data-centric approach to product evaluation, cost management, and competitive analysis.
• This role will require travel to different sites for meetings and factory trials.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We see value in ensuring we have a diverse, antiracist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable workplace. As a global family-owned company we are proud to reflect the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that diversity drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger.McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with theJob Family: Research & Development
Division: Global Research and Development
Department: xe2x80x8bJKSEAT R&D xe2x80x8b
Location(s): MY - Malaysia : Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur : Kuala Lumpur || MY - Malaysia : Other : Johor Bharu || MY - Malaysia : Other : Penang || MY - Malaysia : Other : Reference job description || MY - Malaysia : Selangor : Petaling JayaCompany: McCain Foods International Sdn. Bhd.

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