Director R&D, Lifestyle Nutrition

Foods Research & Development

Job Title: Director R&D, Lifestyle Nutrition

Reports to: VP R&D Beverages & HUL Foods

Geographic scope: India (75%), Global (25%)

Nourishing a billion lives

Unilever Foods is a 13+ Billion Euro business representing 22% of Unilever’s TO. 54% of the business is in emerging markets with India, China, Mexico and Brazil being the largest. Unilever Foods business is focussed on 3 attractive global verticals condiments, cooking aids and mini-meals and Unilever Food Solutions. We have power brands like Hellmann, Knorr and Horlicks and purposeful local brands Red Label, Kissan that brighten everyday life for all.  

Business Context:

The newly crafted India Focused Market continues to be the top market for Unilever Foods aiming for a double-digit growth in Aspiring India. HUL is formidable food business in India with No. 1 position across its tea, lifestyle nutrition and ketchup brands. India, with its demographic position, being a young aspiring nation and consumers seeking for tasty, trustable, convenient products there is a huge opportunity for premiumization to cater to the affluent India.

Lifestyle Nutrition encompasses brands like Horlicks, Boost, Plus brands. India is also the global centre for lifestyle nutrition business and brands like Horlicks have presence in other South Asian countries and Southeast Asia.

Lifestyle Nutrition R&D, therefore, sits at the core of this India Foods agenda enabling strategic vision and outstanding delivery across all pillars. The Lifestyle Nutrition Head of R&D would play pivotal role in leading this agenda from the front for flawless execution and driving strategic thought, partnerships and ecosystem development both internally within Unilever R&D and externally.  

Job Purpose:

Director R&D Lifestyle Nutrition is accountable for leading R&D for lifestyle nutrition and business partner Lifestyle Nutrition business head. R&D director will be responsible to lead the function (category and functional experts), Core capabilities, line manage the team of around 25 to 30 members with responsibility for delivering the R&D program aligned to business growth plan. In addition to leading LSN R&D program for India BU, the role double hats asGlobal Design for Horlicks responsible to build technology pipeline and boldly healthier portfolio to future proof the business. The Director R&D LSN plays a pivotal role in the category leadership team and responsible to deliver innovation, renovation and cost efficiency programs.

This position thus presents an exceptional opportunity for a high-performing individual to create an impact through this transformational journey and shape long-term R&D strategy for lifestyle nutrition business.

Key Accountabilities:

• Deliver category ambition of unmissable product superiority and enable sales and volume growth.

• Steer development and delivery of a technology-enabled, consumer, customer and category-centric innovation funnel. Drive close collaboration with R&D, BU and Global stakeholders with a One Team, One Dream mindset and ways of working.

• Build/Leverage partnerships internally or externally for Horizon 2/3 science and technology areas required for lifestyle nutrition.

• Deliver 3-year design to value program for GM improvements with no compromise on product quality,

• Lead the Boldly Healthier commitments of the category and respective OKRs and build a robust roadmap to future proof the portfolio.

• Drive delivery of sustainability agenda with focus on plastic reduction and carbon footprint reduction of the products. GHG reduction.

• Drive digital and in-silico mindset for product, pack and claims design for innovations for speed and agility

• Drive improvement in People Experience, including Career Development and Operation Effectiveness in partnership with the BU and leadership teams.

• Develop future R&D leaders and succession planning for key roles through training, future-fit plans, career planning, secondments, resource committees.

• Active role in HUL Foods RDLT, influencing, shaping, and delivering the Foods R&D Strategy, priorities and OKRs.

• Ensure the compliance of the projects to the Unilever Code of Business Principles and all SHE and QA policies, including the support of product claims, risk management and environmental awareness & legislation.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Degree in Nutrition Science, Biosciences, Engineering, Chemistry or related fields. 15+ years of experience in FMCG. Experience in Foods category is desired.

• A strong track record of high performance, leading R&D teams in highly interdependent, end-to-end cross functional leadership teams

• Proven track record of talent management and development. 5+ years of experience leading other R&D leaders and large, highly engaged R&D teams.

• Strong understanding of Innovation process and portfolio management .

• Entrepreneurial and owner’s mindset towards risk taking and maximizing opportunity from scarcity of resources, incorporating agile mindset and techniques in ways of working. Open minded, effectively leveraging the scale of Unilever and the power of Ecosystems.

• Strong passion for high performance, generating the intensity and focus to deliver results at speed and taking accountability for execution and results.

• Develops talent & nurtures high performing teams by building a performance culture, rewarding initiative, creativity and out of the box thinking, and creating an inclusive environment amongst teams that celebrates successes and embraces failure as a learning opportunity.  

• Ability to maintain a high degree of credibility, independence, integrity and trust

• Demonstrated ability to deliver under pressure, having delivered transformational changes and leading strategic thinking and crafting long-term strategy while delivering brilliant in-year execution

• Strong change leadership skills, ability to manage risk in a fast-paced, changing environment, demonstrating initiative and self-motivation.