Description
We are looking for a Customer Innovation Manager Europe with a passion for Plant Based Meat
AAK is one of the leading producers of high value-adding vegetable oils and fats. AAK is organised in three business areas; Food Ingredients, Chocolate & Confectionery Fats and Technical Products & Feed.
To maintain our leading position within the world of vegetable oils, we are always looking for innovative, highly skilled, knowledgeable, committed and caring people to join AAK. We offer challenging international career opportunities at all levels within Production, Sales, Customer Innovation (CI) and support functions in more than 25 countries.
AAK’s work is very much built around our customers’ businesses and we firmly believe in long-term partnerships and strong relationships. Through our unique co-development approach, we work together with our customers and across their value chains to develop solutions that fulfil customer specific needs. At AAK, initiative, innovation, improvement and team work are in focus.
About the position
We are expanding our activities in the Plant Based area with special focus on Plant Based Meat and Plant Based Dairy. In 2019 we successfully launched AkoPlanet™ – our brand targeting the Plant Based Foods segment and we are now looking to strengthen our Customer Innovation Team further with a dedicated Customer Innovation Manager for the Plant Based Meat area.
As Customer Innovation Manager you work closely together with Sales and the whole Go To Market team to identify and grow new opportunities in the European Plant Based Meat industry. You will work primarily within the European Food Industry but also support colleagues in other regions in this fast-growing segment. One of our key strengths is our global network of Customer Innovation Managers that you will be part of.
You will work with technical support and in joint development projects with our customers as well as in pro-active development of new solutions. You will be part of trouble shooting internally and externally and provide technical support in customer projects and act as a technical expert throughout the buying cycle, from idea generation, creation of solutions and all the way to technical implementation and launch.
Our core business is the value adding vegetable fats and oils and as a Customer Innovation Manager you are bringing knowledge and understanding of the whole value chain from oils and fats to the final end application. The ideal candidate will combine experience from the Plant Based Meat or Meat industry with good knowledge in fats and oils chemistry and functionality.
Our Customer Innovation Managers are leading technical projects and activities. Building strong relations with the Customers is important as you are a crucial part of growing and maintaining the business in alignment with our global and regional Co-Development strategy. The work will include both presentations to customers, partners and other stakeholders and hands-on application work in our pilots and with customers.
The focus area is Europe and you will also to some extent support new application developments and solutions, regional and global, and be part of market driven innovation projects. You will also support the corporate R&D team for testing of NPD prototypes, in cooperation with AAK’s pilot plants and labs. In AAK Team Work is one of our core values and you will be part of a strong team and we expect from you to act as a professional team player.
The successful candidate will be part of the European Dairy, Savoury & Plant Based Customer Innovation team and report to our Head of Customer Innovation Europe, Malin Thors Rosenquist.
Who are you?
Experience:
You hold a degree in a food technology, food science or chemistry discipline and have a proven track record from previous employment within the food industry. You have experience and good knowledge from the Meat or Plant Based Meat industry. A good understanding of oils & fats chemistry and functionality will be a major advantage, as well as experience from other important ingredients within the Plant Based Meat segment. You possess strong project management skills and have experience from working in a busy commercial environment.
Our business language is English and therefore a good command in written and spoken English is mandatory.
Personal Qualities:
You are characterized by being pro-active, customer-oriented, responsible and accountable, flexible, analytical and well organised. You are good at relation building internally and externally and at communicating on mutual levels and you have good understanding of cultural differences. You thrive in a hectic working environment and are adoptable to change. You are a true team player with a strong sense of urgency and a strategic thinking, always striving to improve and innovate and you are a self-motivator with a strong drive.
As this role has a European remit, there is an expectation that the successful candidate has the capacity to travel as required.
We promise you an exciting opportunity in a great and welcoming team with big chances for personal and professional development for the right candidate. The position should preferably be located in our Customer Innovation Centre in Karlshamn, Sweden (2 hours drive from Copenhagen airport) in close proximity to one of our major sites but other locations may be considered for the right candidate.
Contacts and application:
For further information about the position please contact Malin Thors Rosenquist, Head of Customer Innovation Dairy & Savoury Europe on +46 766 12 23 45 or malin.thors@aak.com
For more information about the recruitment process or the organisation, please contact HR Manager Malin Olsson on +46 454 82321 or malin.olsson@aak.com
Apply here
Please submit your application with relevant enclosures soonest possible as applications are evaluated continuously. Last day for application is Friday 6th of March.
AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.
