Product Development Technologist at Unilever

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world.  If you are a dynamic and flexible team player who has a keen eye for detail, a disruptive thinker with a passion for winning to partner with cross functional teams to land projects, troubleshoot issues and deliver savings then this role is just for you!

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• Working closely with cross functional teams to transform Marketing ideas into robust technical briefs, ultimately delivering excellent product solutions that delight our consumers.
• To plan, organise and execute a variety of project types as assigned under guidance from line manager.
• Lead the coordination of all product development elements (e.g. formulation coordination, performance validation, specifications, cost, lab prototypes and product stability).
• Develop product specifications for new products and create documentation to support all product qualification requirements.
• Stakeholder management regarding technical issues/status; balancing and managing diverse needs and desires.
• Work across multiple projects and cross-functional teams in different geographies.
• Represent the voice of R&D to the rest of the company, supporting brand growth agendas and category strategy through a strong understanding of the technical product portfolio & funnel, brand context, consumer insights and the use of digital tools and relevant trends.
• Manage compliance of products working with Regulatory Affairs and Legal teams
• Project & technical risk management, ensuring technical action standards are met at key decision points.
• Through competitor benchmarks, identify formulation cost savings opportunities, whilst maintaining prescribed brand action standards.
• Commit to personal development and professional growth by actively participating in personal development initiatives and applying developmental thinking within the context of planning and executing work.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

PREFERRED EXPERIENCES

• Ideally some relevant experience (1 year) in R&D preferably with project management experience and/or product development experience.
• Digitally savvy – Demo creation – an element of creativity required, data (i.e. Power BI)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science (ideally Chemistry) or Degree Chemical Engineering
• Curiosity in the latest innovation and technology is essential.

Skills

• Great people skills; building and maintaining relationships with an ability to be persuasive and assertive when necessary. Ability to work well both independently and as part of a wider cross-functional team.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to bring technologies and innovations to life in a clear and engaging way.
• Computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint.
• A passion & curiosity for learning about customers & consumers, always looking for ideas and translating this into new business opportunities.
• Attention to detail especially in experimentation, data recording and analysis.
• Strong problem solving and organizational skills and proven ability to work in a fast-paced work environment.
• Good time-management skills to handle multiple projects, in a dynamic environment with changing priorities.

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.
• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.