Centre of Excellence Director (Research & Innovation) - Specialised Nutrition

Research & Innovation

Danone Nutricia Research builds bridges between science and food.

Our Research Centre for Specialized Nutrition, located in the Utrecht Science Park in the Netherlands, is a state-of-the-art Life Science innovation center for the development of new product concepts and the ongoing improvement of our existing range for Specialized Nutrition (SN). We create formulas that provide clinically substantiated health benefits to vulnerable consumers - infants, toddlers, elderly and patients.

By bringing together employees from different backgrounds, with complementary scientific and technological expertise, we have been able to build a creative, high-spirit powerhouse to spur our innovation. With over 600 employees, the Utrecht R&I centre delivers evidence-based specialised nutrition to infants, pregnant women, patients and the elderly.

About the role

The Centre of Excellence Director (Research & Innovation) - Specialised Nutrition plays a critical role in shaping the scientific, technical and digital foundations of Specialised Nutrition R&I. The role is accountable for ensuring that products are designed and developed with strong, consistent and compliant fundamentals, fully aligned with Right by Design principles and enabled by robust data and digital capabilities.

Reporting to VP R&I for Specialised Nutrition, the position owns the CoE strategy and leads the category fundamentals centre. It drives the transformation of category data, systems and ways of working, modernising the R&I landscape to improve efficiency, accuracy, transparency and decision quality across the full product development lifecycle. They will also play a pivotal role in driving the digital transformation.

As a member of the SN R&I Board, the Director contributes to the strategic direction of the category, ensuring that strong fundamentals, digital readiness and deep data-driven understanding underpin sustainable growth and innovation.

Key responsibilities

• Define and implement the global strategy across end-to-end product development, with a strong focus on data, digital and systems transformation.
• Ensure that scientific and technical fundamentals are consistently embedded from early design through development, enabling reliable and compliant Right by Design outcomes at scale.
• Be accountable for global standardisation and harmonisation of product-related data, models and systems, including strengthening data governance, improving data integrity and reducing manual interventions through fit-for-purpose digital solutions that support efficiency, accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Lead the SN Category Fundamentals Center and establish a centre of excellence in modelling, simulation, predictive formulation and digital design, in close collaboration with the R&I Glocal DDAI team to ensure strong alignment between scientific expertise, advanced analytics and digital capabilities.
• Own knowledge management and capability building, ensuring critical fundamentals knowledge is captured, structured and accessible, and that the global SN R&I community is continuously upskilled in fundamentals, data literacy and digital ways of working.
• Provide governance and oversight of key transformational product portfolio programmes.
• Be responsible for the end-to-end deployment of the R&I Product Lifecycle Management ecosystem, including seamless data integration with Operations and Quality and Food Safety, ensuring continuity of data, traceability and effective decision-making across the value chain.

Across all activities, the position embeds sustainability and One Planet-One Health principles, ensuring that scientific, technical and digital foundations actively support responsible innovation and long-term category performance.

About you

The successful candidate is a senior R&I leader with strong scientific or technical foundations and a proven track record in data and digital transformation within an R&D environment. They bring experience in leading complex global transformations, building standards and systems, and translating science and data into scalable, efficient and compliant product development practices.

The role requires strong strategic thinking, the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and influence across functions and geographies, and a passion for building capabilities and developing people. Experience working with advanced analytics, digital design tools, modelling or simulation in R&D is a strong asset.

Technical Skills

• 15+ years of experience in R&D, Process & Technology, Factory Management, Quality, Regulatory or Data and Digital.
• Strong understanding of FMCG or FSMP sectors, particularly R&D processes.
• Proven success in leading complex transformation programs.
• Experience in data and digital system management and transformation.
• Ability to translate business needs into efficient processes to accompany the day-to-day reality of the R&D community.
• Solid knowledge of company operational system SAP and PLM platforms.

Non-Technical Skills

• Visionary strategic leadership with the ability to simplify complexity.
• Strong influencing and communication skills.
• Results-driven, adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills.

Languages

• English (fluent)

We offer

All Danoners receive a complete package of benefits. This includes a competitive salary and yearly bonus, a premium free pension, 30 days of annual leave with the opportunity to purchase more, and a monthly health care allowance. In addition, you can get discount on your gym membership, and we offer initiatives focused on nutrition, physical and mental health. We provide continuous learning opportunities through workshops, online courses and training sessions.