Senior Nutritional Research Associate/Research Scientist, Health & Wellbeing

JOB TITLE: Senior Nutritional Research Associate/Research Scientist, Health & Wellbeing

JOB FUNCTION:  R&D Technician

REPORTS TO: Senior Manager, Nutritional Sciences and Innovation, Health & Wellbeing

WORK LOCATION: Bangalore/Mumbai

ABOUT UNILEVER :

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our, collaborative, and flexible working environment. Our organizational ambition centres around creating workplaces that foster equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging across all aspects of our business. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

CATEGORY OR FUNCTION INTRODUCTION

Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing Group holds the company’s functional nutrition brands and the portfolio of brands that includes Equilibra (Italy) and US acquired brands Olly, Liquid IV, Smarty Pants, Welly, Onnit, and Nutrafol. Each brand is completely unique and focused on giving consumers superior experiences within their respective spaces and target segments. We are committed to continue grow this strategic business for Unilever through a series of acquisitions and international expansion of acquired brands through Unilever’s scale and network in the markets.

JOB PURPOSE:

We are the Global Business Units in Beauty & Wellbeing and are made up of the two fast-growing units: Health & Wellbeing (H&W) and Prestige. We are focused on two of Unilever’s largest growth opportunities – the €140bn Health & Wellbeing space defined by Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements (VMS) and the growing super-premium/premium hair and skin care segments.

We work in an agile, fast-moving environment, collaboratively within the team and with our Unilever colleagues around the world. We work in a project based networked way where everyone needs to be able to take a step back and think strategically as well as rolling up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, to be entrepreneurial and experiment as well as bringing in the best of Unilever and work the structures of a large company, to take charge and lead as well as follow and support others.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Nutrition Scientist/Associate will play a critical role in the Nutritional Sciences and Innovation team.  They will be responsible for providing

1) Key support for ingredient substantiation (claims and evidence generation). The Nutrition Associate will provide subject matter expertise in nutritional sciences for key benefit areas of energy, immunity, digestive health, cognition/mood, women’s health, hydration, sleep, sugar reduction across different innovation activities and

2) Nutrition Education to the broader Global Health and wellbeing team.

The role reports to the Senior Manager, Nutritional Sciences and Innovation, Health & Wellbeing and will interface with the Global and Regional R&D teams.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Lead

• Develop Nutrition Education Content for the Global Health and Wellbeing Team, The Collectives and external customers

• Identify and validate new ingredients to be used across the Health and Wellbeing portfolio

• Support robust evidence-based ingredient choice for product design, product launches and post launch support for multiple key international markets  

• Identify and define global and local claims for Health and Wellbeing category; Lead regional and local claims dossier submission

• Be the nutrition expert in project contexts by translating vitamins, minerals and supplements/VMS nutrition science into compelling consumer communication (storytelling/claims/demos) and product opportunities in line with global and regional demands and values working closely with H&W R&D and marketing, Regulatory affairs and Brand R&D teams in Opcos

• Provide R&D inputs in Regional Claims Forum (RCF) and Regional Golden Triangle

• Interacts with internal stakeholders to optimize transfer of new scientific insights

• Develops scientific positions and viewpoints relevant to the business

• Anticipates and manages potential business issues by predicting and responding to external scientific developments in the field

Support  (within the broader NS&I team)

• Identify emerging trends for the key benefit areas: energy, immunity, digestive health, cognition/mood, women’s health, sleep, hydration sugar reduction and emerging ingredients

• Support evidence generation activities including clinical and pre-clinical model (in vitro human models)

• Support identification and relationship building of Key Opinion Leaders and other scientific engagement activities such as regional Advisory Boards, Symposiums at Scientific Congress, etc.

• Support to maintain the Global Ingredient and Claims Database
  

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED:

The role requires the ability to translate science into differentiated and meaningful business applications.  Strong people and networking skills and a true passion for innovation also required.

Standards of Leadership:

• You are an inclusive motivator of people. Your team deliver with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.

• You are still responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

• Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviours

  • PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.

  • PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.

  • PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.

  • CONSUMER LOVE: Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.

  • BUSINESS ACUMEN: Creates sustainable growth with purpose, engaging different partners across the system for change.

EXPERIENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS :

Essential Experience:

• 3+ years industry experience in a healthcare, consumer goods, food or pharmaceutical company

• Broad knowledge of Nutrition and Health Science

• Ability to translate nutrition science into consumer relevant propositions, claims and communication

• Having established delivery of Complex and Multiple projects desirable.

• Having working knowledge on relevant R&D digital toolkit and processes is a must.

Preferred  Qualification & Skills:

• Master’s degree required in nutrition science, food science, dietetics or similar discipline.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to present information in a clear and concise manner to senior management

• Strong Project management, Networking and stakeholder management 

• Attention to detail, excellent organization and time management skills.

• Ability to think flexibly in order to meet constantly shifting priorities and timelines and to independently provide solutions to issues.

• Problem-solving, troubleshooting skills and ability to find creative solutions

• Ability to work successfully in a ‘team-based’ environment

• Ability to manage external collaborations and projects

• Comfortable in multicultural / multi geographical work environment

• High energy, multi-tasking ability

• Ability to work independently with cross-functional team members

• Having working knowledge on relevant R&D digital toolkit and processes

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion 

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.