Plant Biotechnology Manager

**UNILEVER IN THE NETHERLANDS IS LOOKING FOR A PLANT** BIOTECHNOLOGY**LEADER**

Location: Wageningen, Hive, The Netherlands

Full-time

Local conditions apply

**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 inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. 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.

**ABOUT NUTRITION R&D**

Nutrition is the largest Business Group (BG) in Unilever with global multibillion-dollar brands such as Knorr and Hellman’s and many strong regional and local brands. Nutrition BG’s vision is to be a Force for Good in Foods. Nutrition R&D develops and delivers unmissably superior products and solutions that are Boldly Healthier for People and Planet, rooted in differentiated science and technology. With our global innovation centre Hive, in the heart of the Silicon Valley of Food, in Wageningen, The Netherlands, and our network of R&D teams across the world, we work closely with many internal and external partners to create market-winning innovations. Increasingly, Digital and Data are the currency of how we work in R&D, from discovery through product development and deployment. New developments in AI and Data Science will be the crucial differentiator for us to win.

**JOB PURPOSE**

Find your purpose at Unilever. You will lead innovations, big and small, that will make our business win and grow. You will learn from brilliant business leaders and colleagues in a truly global and diverse culture to ultimately become a better you. If you are a passionate leader in plant biotechnology and want to define Nutrition’s plant biotech strategy for future bio-ingredients, then this role is just for you.

Together with your team, you will unleash the power of modern plant biology, digital tools and plant biotechnology to identify, create and deliver food ingredients with more functionality and lower (carbon) footprint for superior products across our Nutrition portfolio.

You will bring leadership, creativity and expertise of working at the interface of Structure:Function, in silico modelling; plant biotech/agritech ingredient production and a strong external network (academics/companies) on which to develop and grow.

In this role, you will lead and develop a newly established team of 2 scientists and inspire, shape and deliver disruptive plant-based ingredients that transform our product performance and sustainability (‘function without footprint’). This team is working closely with the established team of Microbial Biotechnologists in the Future-Biobased Ingredients team.

As part of the Future Bio-Ingredients team and the Unilever Nutrition Science and Technology Organization, you will deliver breakthrough technologies to enable long-term competitiveness of the Nutrition Business Groups consumer product portfolio, including Knorr and Hellmann’s.

**WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE**:

- Lead and develop the Plant Biotechnology team based in Hive, NL.
- Inspire, shape and deliver disruptive bio-ingredients that transform our product performance and sustainability.
- Build an ecosystem (including academic research, start-ups, suppliers, companies) and maintain strategic relationships across plant based ingredient structure:function; in silico modelling; plant biotechnology/agritech production systems
- Lead scientific understanding of Future Plant-based Ingredients, technologies, production systems and plant biotechnology.
- Collaborate closely across Science and Technology teams and, jointly with the team, drive our digital agenda.

**WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED?**

**Experiences & Qualifications**
- Proven leader and expertise working at the interface of structure:function; plant biotechnology / plant based approaches for novel ingredients, as well as strong external network.
- Experience and passion for leading and managing teams, proven ability to develop and grow people.
- Creative thinker with ability to make links across diverse technical areas to shape a programme and bring project leadership to deliver impact.
- Proven experience of partnership development
- Excellent communication skills in English
- Effective Stakeholder Management
- Track record of delivery and working collaboratively with cross-functional and external partners to implement new ingredients / technologies.

**WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU?**

Unileve