Senior Project Scientist, Wellbeing Collective

Join us as Senior Project Scientist Wellbeing Collective

Location: Trumbull CT

Terms & Conditions: Full time International assignment is not available for this role and relocation for local and international candidates is not provided

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.

WHO ARE WE
We are the Global Wellbeing team focused on one of Unilevers largest growth opportunities the 140bn Wellbeing space defined by Vitamins Minerals and Supplements (VMS).

OUR BUSINESS:
Unilevers Wellbeing Collective Group (WBC) holds the companys health and wellness brands and the portfolio of brands that includes Liquid IV Nutrafol Olly SmartyPants Onnit and Grüns. Each brand is completely unique and focused on giving consumers superior experiences within their respective spaces and target segments. We are committed to continuing to grow this strategic business for Unilever by leveraging the full strength of Unilevers capabilities and expanding the reach of our portfolio internationally.

We work in an agile fast-moving environment collaboratively within the team and with our Unilever colleagues around the world. We work in a project-based networked way where everyone needs to be able to take a step back and think strategically as well as roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to be entrepreneurial and experiment as well as bring in the best of Unilever and work the structures of a large company and to take charge and lead as well as follow and support others.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Technical Project Lead for WBC R&D will play a critical role in driving the WellbeingCollectives growth ambition by leading end-to-end technical delivery of innovation newproduct development and new market entry projects across multiple markets. The role isresponsible for translating brand ambition consumer insights and market requirements into clear technical targets and robust product solutions ensuring products are designeddeveloped validated and launched against agreed business quality regulatory and consumer experience requirements. This position requires strong formulation and product development expertise withresponsibility for designing consumer-preferred and technically robust formulas developingglobal product chassis managing technical risks supporting value improvement initiativesand enabling scale-up and launch readiness through internal and external partners. The Technical Project Lead will work closely with Brand Supply Chain SEAC Quality Regulatory NSI Analytical Packaging CTI contract laboratories raw material suppliers and collaborativemanufacturers serving as the R&D representative on cross-functional global teams to ensuretimely compliant and high-quality delivery of project objectives.

• Act as Technical Project Lead for end-to-end technical delivery of innovation projects across multiple markets including Canada and Latin America countries.

• Independently lead technical workstreams from concept development throughformulation feasibility assessment scale-up validation launch readiness and post launch support ensuring projects are delivered on time and in line with agreedbusiness quality regulatory and consumer requirements.

• Design and develop global product chassis that can be adapted and rolled out acrossmultiple markets while balancing local regulatory ingredient claims sensory andmanufacturing requirements.

• Drive reuse of proven technologies and baseformulations to enable speed consistency scalability and greater businessincrementality across regions.

• Steer innovation pipeline by identifying technically feasible product opportunitiesevaluating white spaces assessing formulation and technology readiness andtranslating business needs into actionable R&D programs.

• Lead and support value improvement and cost saving initiatives through formulaoptimization ingredient harmonization process simplification supplier evaluationand manufacturing efficiency improvements.

• Serve as the global R&D liaison to drive harmonization and adoption of ingredientsprocesses formulations and technologies from the US business into internationalmarkets.

• Manage the central R&D lab including prioritization of lab activities sample preparation prototype development ingredient evaluation formulation trialsdocumentation and coordination of lab resources.

• Partner with Brand Managers to translate Brand Performance Standards (BPS)consumer insights and business ambition into clear technical targets product designprinciples and measurable success criteria. Ensure superior products are designeddeveloped validated and measured against agreed performance sensory claimsquality and consumer experience requirements.

• Proactively identify assess and escalate technical risks across formulationingredients claims regulatory quality manufacturing and supply readiness. Developpractical mitigation plans recommendations and decision points to support timelymanagement alignment and protect project delivery.

• Identify evaluate and manage external contract laboratories raw material suppliersand technical partners to support product development activities.

• Work closely with NSI Analytical Packaging and CTI teams to design and executerobust technical validation plans including claim substantiation analytical methoddevelopment stability studies packaging trials sensory studies andconsumer/technical learning plans.

• Partner with Supply Chain Quality Procurement and external manufacturers tosupport technical assessments capability evaluation and establishment of contractmanufacturing sites.

• Draft review approve and maintain key technical documentation for globaldevelopments including formulation cards manufacturing instructions raw materialspecifications finished product specifications and technical transfer documents.

• Maintain strong awareness of scientific literature emerging technologies ingredient trends regulatory developments and competitive activity to inform workprogression technical problem solving and future innovation opportunities.

• Translate relevant knowledge into practical recommendations and support capability building by training self and others in new technologies and ways of working.

• Establish improve and maintain product development SOPs technical guidancedocuments and best-practice tools to strengthen consistency compliance andefficiency across R&D workflows. Support adoption of standardized ways of workingfor formulation development testing documentation technical transfer and launchreadiness.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree required in science food science nutrition chemistry pharmaceuticalsciences engineering or a related technical discipline. Masters degree or PhD preferred.

• 8 years of relevant R&D experience in formulation development technologydevelopment product development or technical project delivery preferably withinVMS functional nutrition food beverage supplements consumer health or adjacent
  CPG categories.

• Proven experience leading technical workstreams or acting as Technical Project Lead forinnovation new product development new market entry quality improvement and/orvalue improvement initiatives across multiple brands regions or technologies.

• Strong technical understanding of product development principles includingformulation design ingredient functionality raw material selection sensory andconsumer requirements product claims stability specification development scale-up
  costing GMP and launch readiness.

• Experience developing consumer-friendly ingestible dosage formats such as powdersgummies tablets capsules liquids or other supplement/functional nutrition formats ispreferred.

• Demonstrated ability to translate brand strategy consumer insights performancestandards and market requirements into clear technical targets product designprinciples and actionable R&D programs.

• Strong technical judgment and problem-solving capability with the ability to assessformulation ingredient regulatory quality manufacturing and supply risks developpractical mitigation plans and make clear recommendations to support decision making.

• Strong cross-functional leadership skills with experience working across R&D BrandRegulatory Quality Supply Chain Procurement Packaging Analytical CTI externalmanufacturers contract laboratories and raw material suppliers. Global and multi-market experience is strongly preferred.

• Ability to manage external technical partners including contract laboratories researchpartners suppliers consultants and manufacturing sites with clear scope definitiontimeline management technical review and quality delivery.

• Strong project management skills with proven ability to manage multiple prioritiesstakeholders timelines and technical deliverables in a fast-paced ambiguous andevolving business environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to simplify complextechnical information influence cross-functional stakeholders and interact effectivelywith senior internal and external leaders.

• Self-starter with strong accountability initiative flexibility learning agility and the abilityto work independently with limited supervision while collaborating effectively in anetworked entrepreneurial environment.

• Digitally savvy with strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word Excel PowerPoint andother digital tools to support documentation project tracking data analysis and efficientways of working. PLM knowledge is a plus.

Pay: The pay range for this position is $103000 to $154400. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets experience and training licensure and certifications qualifications and education and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate they can choose from a range of benefits to include but is not limited to health insurance

(including prescription drug dental and vision coverage) retirement savings benefits life insurance and disability benefits parental leave sick leave paid vacation and holidays as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

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