Associate Manager, Scratch PD Business Support

Scratch Cooking is a critical pillar within Unilever’s Nutrition business. It houses Knorr, one of Unilever’s 30 Power brands and it is the second largest global brand. Knorr serves millions of American and Canadian consumers daily, led by its purpose to provide accessible and affordable nutrition to the many.
As a member of the Scratch Cooking R&D team, you will both lead and support the R&D activities required to deliver key Scratch Cooking initiatives and work with a cross-functional project team to deliver the brand’s business objectives.

We are seeking an experienced individual contributor responsible for independent formulation development and technical delivery of Foods innovation, renovation, and business support for Knorr Cooking Aids and Mini-Meals projects. The role translates consumer, culinary, and business briefs into robust, scalable food formulations that meet quality, safety, nutrition, cost, and sustainability requirements. Additional responsibilities include ensuring business continuity and resilience through strategic product development initiatives. This includes managing alternate material qualifications, complexity reduction; and, core renovation projects to maintain and enhance our market position.

Key Responsibilities:

• Independently leading food formulation development from concept through scale up and commercialization
• Design and execute formulation strategies, test protocols, and experimental plans
• Develop bench scale and pilot scale prototypes, conducting analytical, sensory, and shelf life testing
• Own technical decision making within projects, recommending formulation options based on data and risk assessment
• Lead or strongly influence factory trials and scale up, adjusting formulations and processes as needed
• Develop and approve raw material and finished product specifications
• Partner cross functionally with Marketing, CTI, Culinary, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, and suppliers
• Support business continuity, renovation, cost savings, and complexity reduction initiatives
• Contribute technical expertise to troubleshooting and supply chain issues where formulation knowledge is critical
• Oversee the relaunch of products with no consumer-perceivable changes, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and achieving cost savings.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering or a related field.
• Proven experience in product development.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Strong track record of ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the consumer goods industry.
• Knowledge of foods formulation and ingredient functionality as well as regulatory compliance and cost-saving strategies.
• Computer literate
• Proficiency in data analysis and problem-solving.
• Highly collaborative spirit inspiring teamwork & collaboration
• Ability to identify opportunities for improvement
• A positive, can-do attitude and a balanced, calm approach to deliver projects in tight timelines

------------------------------------

At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.

Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.

For more information on your federal rights, please seeKnow Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.