RD&A Senior Scientist (Savoury Snack)

About Kerry

About the role

This role is essentially a senior food product developer focused on savoury snacks and seasonings, responsible for taking products from idea to commercial launch while supporting customers and internal teams.

• Work Location      :   Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Reporting To         :   RD&A Director

Key responsibilities

• End-to-end new products development and/or maintenance of existing products that are fit-for-purpose from concept to commercialization via good project management.
• Apply scientific approach to developing products that meet customer requirement, country compliance, food safety and product stability requirement.
• Collaborate within RD&A functions and provide technical support to cross-functional teams, e.g. Regulatory, QA, Sales, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement and EUM teams.
• Build strong relationship with customers, providing technical support, in terms of concept development, sample preparation / delivery, product presentations / applications, product commercialization, process and packaging support.
• Ensure good laboratory practices and lab safety protocols are met. Maintain good working laboratory, including upkeep of equipment, stocking of supplies and general cleaning of work areas.
• Validate ingredient functionality in final products as part of product development and/or PIP activities.
• Maximize use of collection products and support Portfolio Mgr on gap analysis and ensure portfolios are kept up to date.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 5 years of proven experience as an R&D professional within the Savoury background (for example noodles, soup, sauces, or any savoury application) with a strong customer-driven technical support.
• Experience in Snack background is a added bonus. 
• Ability to formulate savoury seasoning to suit local preferance. 
• Demonstrated expertise in R&D practices, including recipe documentation, experimental trials, scale-up, commercialization, and shelf-life studies.
• Skilled in providing timely project updates and ensuring delivery through Kerry’s project management systems.
• Solid understanding of technologies, product portfolios, EUM structures, and ways of working.
• Ability to translate scientific insights into impactful presentations and collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Well-versed in customer requirements and evaluation processes, with the capability to align solutions to business needs.
• Continuous development of scientific knowledge through engagement with senior R&D members, SMEs, academia, literature reviews, regulatory updates, and applied studies.