Product Development Centre Project Leader (Food Engineering)

TL;DR

Product Development Centre Project Leader (Food Engineering): Managing product trial projects in a pilot plant to drive innovation in liquid food processing and packaging with an accent on scaling from pilot to industrial production. Focus on coordinating customer requirements, executing trials, and optimizing industrial engineering solutions.

Location: Based in Gotemba, Japan (flexible working arrangements mentioned)

Company

Global leader in food processing and packaging solutions committed to making food safe and available everywhere.

What you will do

• Lead trial project management including planning, raw material preparation, execution, and reporting.
• Collaborate with customers to customize activities and provide solutions based on their technical challenges.
• Convert pilot plant experiments into scaled-up industrial manufacturing processes.
• Manage contracts, invoicing, and procurement operations according to company legal and finance requirements.
• Oversee TRC lab management and develop localized NPD concepts according to business needs.
• Coordinate with global Marketing Services and internal stakeholders to acquire and apply technical expertise.

Requirements

• University degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering.
• 8+ years of expert-level experience in processing or technology-driven projects.
• Proven capability to up-scale pilot plant experimentation to industrial scale production.
• Native-level Japanese and Business-level English proficiency.
• Strong project management skills and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Experience in process development and technical assessment of process conditions.

Nice to have

• Basic understanding of the nutritional industry and ingredients.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunities for development and training within a truly global landscape.
• Innovation-driven culture where industry experts drive visible results.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Market competitive compensation and flexible working arrangements.