New Product Development R&D Lead

THAI UNION GROUP PCL. (Samut Sakhon, Thailand)

Samut Sakhon, Thailand

We are a global seafood leader with ambitious growth goals and a dedication to sustainability and innovation. Our portfolio of brands includes convenient consumer favorites that have brought nutritious and tasty seafood to tables around the world for over a century.

About this position

The New Product Development R&D Lead is responsible for defining and executing the NPD OEM R&D strategy, ensuring optimized product development processes, and fostering collaboration across various teams to drive innovation and successful commercialization of new products.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute NPD OEM R&D strategy, driving effective execution of new product development projects globally
• Ensure optimized product development costs, timely speed to market, and a robust new product development pipeline aligned with Ambient Branded BU R&D and GIC, and develop/deploy best in-class OEM R&D practices
• Work with project managers to flow consumer insights from commercial teams to NPD team
• Enforce seamless coordination with plant teams throughout product development process, ensuring on-time and on-spec delivery of products from sample through to full production scale-up phases and successful commercialization
• Collaborate with Regional Commercial Leads and Lead KAMs, Global Innovation Center (GIC) and Branded R&D team to share insights and scale-up big-win, advanced, innovations projects
• Motivate, lead and challenge team members to reach/exceed BU and individual targets and objectives. Improve and sustain employee engagement scores for NPD R&D team to be within the top quartile. Build longer term view/plan around people; prepare succession plans at different levels. Set a positive working culture within NPD R&D team and with teams across Thai Union
• Define and drive execution of NPD R&D strategy (incl. targets/KPIs) and strategic priorities, ensuring effective and efficient NPD projects applicable across regions
• Develop and oversee a strong NPD pipeline, supported by the Commercial teams
• Collaborate with Ambient OEM R&D Lead to build NPD R&D product roadmap; provide inputs to Ambient OEM R&D Lead to adjust roadmap targets and timings
• Provide input and propose initiatives for Ambient OEM Lead’s approval
• Oversee NPD R&D budget management, ensure NPD team is on-track to meet targets
• Identify and deliver new products that fulfill customer needs within cost targets, are launched ahead of competition, and in alignment with Ambient Branded BU R&D
• Deploy best practices on OEM R&D (e.g., optimizing R&D process between commercial and R&D teams
• Gather external market insights and collaborate with commercial teams to test new product concepts
• Drive seamless coordination with plant teams throughout product development process, ensuring on-time and on-spec delivery of products from sample through to full production scale-up phases Implement and brainstorm new initiatives from plant team leads and Ambient OEM R&D Lead to improve R&D and scale-up process
• Work closely with centralized thermo process team working in Ambient quality to manage new production process
• Develop evidence based directional NPD funnel together with Commercial Leads & Lead KAMs
• Collaborate with Global Innovation Center (GIC) and Branded R&D team to share insights and scale-up big-win, advanced innovations projects

Requirements

• Strong experience in product development and R&D management
• Proven track record of successful project execution and team leadership
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills
• Ability to analyze market trends and consumer insights
• Strong budget management and strategic planning skills
• Experience in working with cross-functional teams and managing stakeholder relationships
• Knowledge of best practices in R&D processes and product commercialization