Beverage 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

The Beverage Technologist is responsible for developing innovative beverage solutions that support customer growth, category expansion and Kerry strategic priorities across ANZ. Working closely with Commercial, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality and Operations teams, this role translates customer and consumer needs into commercially successful beverage solutions while strengthening Kerry’s position as a preferred partner for beverage innovation.

 

• Work Location: Bella Vista, Sydney, NSW
• Reporting To: RD&A Manager – Beverage

Key responsibilities

Product Development & Innovation:

• Develop beverage concepts, formulations and prototypes aligned to customer briefs and market opportunities.
• Formulate and optimise beverages using Kerry flavours, ingredients and technologies.
• Lead technical development projects from concept through to commercialisation.
• Conduct laboratory development, pilot trials and manufacturing trials.
• Identify emerging trends and innovation opportunities within the Beverage category.
• Support proactive innovation projects that drive customer growth.

 

Customer Engagement:

• Build strong technical relationships with customer RD&A, Innovation, Product Development and Quality teams.
• Participate in customer visits, ideation workshops and technical presentations.
• Translate customer requirements into practical and commercially viable solutions.
• Present concepts and technical recommendations to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Support customer problem solving and continuous improvement initiatives.

 

Project Management:

• Manage projects through the Kerry stage-gate innovation process.
• Deliver projects within agreed timelines and milestones.
• Coordinate activities across Commercial, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain and Operations teams.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and communication updates.
• Support successful scale-up and commercialisation activities.

 

Technical Expertise:

• Develop deep expertise in beverage applications, processing technologies and ingredient functionality.
• Maintain awareness of market trends, consumer insights and competitor activity.
• Share technical knowledge across the ANZ business.
• Support internal capability building and training initiatives.
• Contribute to innovation showcases and customer-facing demonstrations.

 

Commercial Partnership:

• Partner with Account Managers and Commercial Leaders to identify growth opportunities.
• Understand customer business priorities and market drivers.
• Support strategic customer projects and innovation pipelines.
• Contribute to profitable growth through formulation optimisation and value-added solutions.
• Develop strong commercial understanding of the beverage category.

 

Key Success Measures:

• Successful delivery of customer and innovation projects.
• Projects commercialised and launched on time.
• Customer satisfaction and relationship strength.
• Contribution to revenue-generating innovation opportunities.
• Trial success and scale-up effectiveness.
• Adherence to quality, regulatory and food safety requirements.
• Effective collaboration across functions.

 

Qualifications and skills

• Degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Chemistry or related discipline.
• Experience in beverage product development, applications or technical service.
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality and beverage formulation.
• Experience supporting manufacturing trials and commercialisation activities.
• Strong communication and project management skills.
• Experience within flavours, ingredients or beverage systems.
• Customer-facing technical experience.
• Knowledge of sweetening systems, taste modulation, functional ingredients or beverage processing technologies.
• Experience within the food ingredients industry.

 

Leadership Competencies:

 

• Customer Focus
• Strategic Mindset
• Drives Results
• Ensures Accountability
• Collaborates Effectively
• Instils Trust
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness