Business unit

RICERCA E SVILUPPO

Sedi

Italia; Malesia

Unigrà is an Italian agro-food group founded in 1972. Through its various brands, the company offers high-end raw materials, semi-processed and finished products across all channels, the main categories being Chocolate and Chocolate Compounds, UHT Vegetable Creams and Margarine.

Responsibilities The R&D; Manager, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Malaysia, dotted to R&D; Corporate Director, is responsible for leading the Research & Development function of the Malaysia plant, overseeing product development and industrialization activities across the following categories:

- Chocolate and compound

- Margarine and fats

- UHT plant-based beverages, creams, creamers and ice cream

The role leads a team of 12 people, including R&D; Team and the Regulatory team.

The R&D; Manager ensures effective prioritization and execution of an increasingly complex and high-volume project portfolio, safeguarding team capacity while delivering business objectives.

The position acts as the main technical and organizational reference for the plant , ensuring alignment with Global R&D; strategy, harmonization of procedures with HQ , and implementation of structured governance, KPI monitoring and reporting systems.

The role requires strong technical credibility, senior leadership capabilities, and resilience in high-pressure and fast-growing environments

Key Responsibilities

- Lead and manage the full R&D; and Regulatory function of the Malaysia plant across chocolate, margarine and UHT products, ensuring alignment with business and strategic objectives

- Drive effective project prioritization and resource allocation in a high-growth, high-demand environment, balancing commercial expectations with technical feasibility and team capacity

- Oversee product development, renewal,



and industrialization projects from conception to market launch, ensuring structured, rapid, and high-quality execution.

- Implement and continuously improve project governance, methodologies (e.g. stage-gate), KPI tracking and reporting systems to ensure transparency, performance and scalability

- Ensure full compliance with local and international food regulations across 100 export markets, integrating regulatory requirements (including halal and kosher) into development processes

- Act as the key technical interface with cross-functional stakeholders (Sales, Marketing, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement) and ensure strong alignment with HQ and international plants

- Lead, coach and develop the R&D; and Regulatory team, strengthening engagement, accountability, technical excellence and long-term capability

- Define objectives, monitor performance, support career development and ensure effective succession planning and talent retention

- Ensure sustainable team performance through workload balancing, manpower planning and budget management

- Drive standardization of processes, documentation and product development practices

- Contribute to cost optimization, raw material rationalization and value engineering initiatives

- Support the definition and execution of the long-term innovation roadmap and technology development

- Prepare and present structured performance updates and insights to the Global R&D; Director

- Act as an active member of the plant leadership team,



fostering a collaborative, resilient and performance-driven culture

Qualifications &

Experience (Must Have)

- Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry or related discipline

- Minimum 10 years of experience in Food R&D; within industrial manufacturing environments

- Proven experience in at least one of the following categories:

- UHT beverages or emulsified systems (preferred option)

- Margarine and fats

- Chocolate and compound

- Minimum 5 years of experience in team management

- Strong technical background with the ability to review formulations, processes and scale-up challenges

- Demonstrated experience managing high project volume and complex portfolios

- Experience working in multinational and multi-site environments

- Good knowledge of Regulations for international export markets

- Proven experience in project management methodologies

Nice to have

- SAP knowledge

- Experience in process optimization and industrial efficiency projects

- Experience in Southeast Asian markets

- Experience managing Halal and Kosher certified production environments

Language

- Knowledge Fluent in oral and written English

PC Knowledge

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office ( Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Strong Leadership And People Development Capabilities

- High resilience and ability to perform under pressure

- Strategic thinking combined with operational execution

- Excellent prioritization and decision-making skills

- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional influence

- Structured and data-driven approach

- Technical credibility and hands-on mindset

- Strong communication and presentation skills

- High level of accountability and ownership

Location

Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru, Malesia

📌 RD MANAGER MALESIA (Conselice)
🏢 Unigrà
📍 Conselice