UX Specialist

Do you want to bring the consumer voice into innovation and create products that people truly love?

At the Cosun Innovation Center in Dinteloord, we are looking for a User Experience Specialist. The User Experience (UX) Specialist executes and reports on practical experimental work related to user experience projects. You contribute to the knowledge development and dissemination of the UX capability across the organization and to the success of research and/or New Product Development projects by delivering relevant and actionable product insights. You will work closely with Scientists, project managers and cross-functional project members as well as external knowledge partners (public / private).

About Cosun

Royal Cosun is an international, leading agricultural cooperative that has been owned by approximately 8,100 sugar beet growers. Our purpose is clear: we aim to contribute to an enjoyable, nutritional and circular world by unlocking the full potential of plants and people for current and next generations. This purpose is rooted in 125 years of Cosun history in successfully valorizing arable crops, such as sugar beets, chicory and potatoes, and co-products into a diverse portfolio of value-added products.

Your main mission is to 

• Understand the business need, translate it into the most relevant consumer learning plan and deliver reliable user insights to support the development of commercially relevant differentiating innovations.
• Own UX projects from start to end; design and execute, with external partners, customer and consumer product assessment of our innovations ensuring holistic understanding of users' needs and aspirations.
• Use your analytical skills and user-product interaction expertise to convert the data into actionable insights and conclusions, communicating the outcomes in non-expert terms.
• Build and own consumer learning plans, tools and roadmaps with the relevant innovation programs.
• Feed the Innovation community with key insights relevant for their portfolios, programs and projects and knowledge and best practices for consumer centricity.

This position plays a strong role in strengthening the User Experience capability to drive the success of our innovations through actionable consumer insights. You will work closely with the program manager UX, the RD&I team and commercial teams in different parts of the organization to enable the generation and implementation of consumer centricity knowledge and tools broadly.

Your Profile

• University degree (Masters or PhD) in Sensory Science, Consumer Science, Food Science, Design, Psychology or related fields.
• 1-4 years of experience in Consumer Research, ideally at an agency and/or FMCG company.
• Expert in current and innovative Sensory and Consumer Science methodologies (quant & qual) and Data Science. Understanding and practice of consumer-centric innovation and design thinking is a plus.
• Analytical thinking: You know how to ensure robust data is generated and how to translate sophisticated data into a simple solution.
• Business acumen: you know how to position scientific results back into a commercial context without losing the nuances of the research.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, proficient in English, written and spoken.
• Team player: experience of collaborative working (including cross-functional teams & complex matrix environment) and strong interpersonal skills.
• Curious, organized and able to drive conviction-based arguments and activities – challenging the status quo and communicating in an engaging way.
• A passion for bringing the voice of the users into product design and real-life launches.

What do we offer?

• Help shape innovations that make food systems more sustainable and consumer-focused.
• Work at the Cosun Innovation Center, where science meets creativity and collaboration.
• Access to the Cosun Academy and tailored development programs to boost your career.
• Join a cooperative built on trust, respect, and shared ambition, where your ideas matter and teamwork drives success.

Where will you work?

You will be part of the Advanced Product Team within Corporate Invention, reporting to the Senior Lead Scientist Advanced Product. At the Cosun Innovation Center, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams and commercial partners to deliver actionable consumer insights. Our team culture emphasizes trust, collaboration, and shared ambition, ensuring that everyone feels valued and included.

Waarom werken bij Cosun?

• Innovatieve en lerende omgeving
• Verbinding en samenwerking
• Voedsel- en duurzaamheidsimpact
• Ontwikkeling en verantwoordelijkheid
• Cultuur en vertrouwen
• Coöperatiegroei en verbetering
• Dynamisch & veelzijdig speelveld
• Werkplezier en veiligheid
• Werkplezier en teamprestaties