RD&A Category Technologist

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

As a RD&A Category Technologist you will own the technical management and governance of a specified raw material (ROH) category throughout its lifecycle. Collaborate with external suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders, including RD&A, Procurement, Regulatory, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain, to provide technical expertise, resolve material-related challenges, and support innovation and business continuity. Leverage food science knowledge, strategic thinking, and strong stakeholder engagement skills to manage a regional ROH portfolio across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), while contributing to selected global category initiatives.

• Location: Shah Alam, Plentong (Johor), Penanag
• Reporting to: Category Technologist Manager, APMEA

Key responsibilities

Raw Materials (ROH) Portfolio Management

• Manage the ROH lifecycle, including code creation, extension and blocking approvals in MDG, review of related technical documentation, and governance of associated processes.
• Support the standardization and harmonization of raw material specifications and codes.
• Provide technical support for Kerry internal specifications and assist in gathering documentation required for

Food Safety Risk Assessments (FSA).

• Conduct technical reviews of raw materials for new business acquisitions and finished product transfers between manufacturing sites.
• Support the RD&A function in delivering project requirements from concept through commercialization, including optimization and troubleshooting activities:
• Provide technical consultation to RDA teams on RM functionality, specifications, supplier capabilities and alternative sourcing options.
• Manage technical relationships with suppliers and support RDA engagement for maintenance projects, reformulations and new sourcing initiatives.
• Drive supplier collaboration opportunities in partnership with Procurement and RDA through technical, innovation and capability presentations.
• Manage ROH pack size changes and coordinate implementation with site operations and supply chain to ensure effective depletion of existing inventory.
• Coordinate raw material sample requests and shipments between external suppliers and Kerry RD&A teams to support product development, evaluation, and validation activities.

Profit Improvement Project (PIP)

• Lead the technical assessment and approval of Profit Improvement Programs (PIPs) within assigned raw material categories, working closely with Category Buyers to identify and implement cost optimization opportunities, including opportunistic purchasing strategies.
• Manage end-to-end PIP execution and maintain timely progress reporting in SFDC while ensuring alignment with key stakeholders.
• Perform raw material evaluations and coordinate cross-functional trial activities to validate technical feasibility and support implementation decisions.

Operational Excellence

• Provide technical guidance and support to cross-functional stakeholders on ROH quality and process matters.
• Collaboration with Supply Chain, Procurement and RD&A to optimize ROH inventory utilization and assess alternative materials or substitutions to ensure continuity of supply.

Raw Materials Governance

• Own and govern the ROH Library within assigned category, and maintain accountabilities for all technical aspects of the ROH portfolio.
• Manage building block and Food Safety Assessment (FSA) activities for the ROH category, ensuring adherence to internal governance.
• Support and drive the technical execution of global and regional category code transformation projects.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in food industry or related field is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, stakeholder management, and conflict management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement and change management initiatives.
• Flexible and resilient and adaptable in a dynamic business environment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams across the organization.