Title:  Product Development centre Project Leader

Job Summary

Our Product Development Centers (PDC) is great resources for innovation. Drive the development of businesses through developing and testing new products, new process and categories.

The Product Development Center’s (PDC ) Gotemba, Japan is one of the 12 product development center’s globally. Our Product Development Centres around the world have various kinds of test equipment, including processing, packaging machinery to support dairy, beverage, plant-based, JNSD, FS&N, food etc. Our highly flexible pilot facility of development of liquid food product as well as for product, formulation, process evaluation and optimization of processing and packaging solutions. We are looking for a PDC project leader to join our Product Development Center (PDC) Gotemba, Japan. In this role, you will be responsible for the product trial project management of PDC Gotemba. you will work in the pilot plant where we provide trial run facilities for our internal and external customers. As the project leader, you will utilize our human resources, professional equipment, logistic and knowledge to complete various trial for process, provide the solutions to different product test with respect to Process, Packaging and Industrial Engineering Solutions. Including pre-communication, understand customer requirements, schedule, trail booking, raw material preparation and execution of the trail, trial report and final communication with customer.  And according to the company’s finance and legal requirements, provide completion contract, invoices issue and material purchasing work to support KAM teams in managing customer.

Support PDC driver in daily management of PDC, including on-site safety management both customer and internal stakeholder, product quality, cost and customer experience on-site.  

You'll be based in Gotemba, Japan reporting to the Customer Experience Manager.

What you will do

As our Product Development Centre Project Leader, your;

Key Relationships
Central functions from Commercial team, Customer, Product Management, Technical Service, Supply Chain, Human Resources, Finance and legal.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Being the expert in liquid food industry. Utilize PDC’s facilities to closely collaborate with customers and support commercial teams to customize customer activity content based on their requirements and challenges. Focus and efficiently improve customer experience.
• Fully responsible for trial project management, include the planning, communication, raw material/facility/utility preparation, trail execution, samples analysis, and trial summary and report.
• Conduct contracts, invoices, payments, and procurement operations according to company requirements.
• Manage materials (raw material, package material etc.) and spare parts according to the operation of PDC.
• Sample detection and analysis during the trail process.
• TRC lab management.
• Localized NPD concept according to business needs.
• Demonstrates ability to convert pilot plant trail to scaled-up manufacturing processes
• Utilize PDC's testing conditions to guide customer innovation and drive the development of the company's business.
• Contributes to alignment of Marketing Services requirements (PDC, Design services) and coordinate for Global.
• Effectively utilizes networking relationships with internal stakeholders as well as partner suppliers to acquire technical knowledge and expertise.

We believe you have

• University degree in Food Science, Food engineering, mechanical engineering – Expert level skills through education or proven experience over 8 years.
• Experience working in the processing area or being involved in project driven by process or technology is a must.
• Capability to up-scale from pilot plant experimentation to industrial scale production Familiar with various processing and filling portfolios.
• Experience in project management is an advantage.
• Experience in process development and technical assessment of process conditions is an advantage.
• Basic understanding of nutritional industry and ingredients is an advantage.
• Good communication skills and the ability to create and maintain relationships are required, comfortable to communicate across levels both internally as well as externally.
• Team player & culturally adept at working across boundaries
• Can do attitude: Self-motivated and ability to work independently with limited supervision
• Strong drive for results, structure your work efficiently Attention to details and good analytical, organizational and follow through.
• Japanese language capabilities at Native level and English language capabilities at Business level.