Executive Assistant jobs in Essen

Background

Univar Solutions are a leading $10+ billion global product supplier spanning food ingredients, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics serving more than 80,000 customers across 100 countries.

Univar Solutions has globalised its Solutions Centers (Laboratories and Food Application Kitchens) under a single umbrella, to create a globally coordinated technical operation which will deliver enhanced value and service from our laboratories and kitchens, which will more effectively serve our key business areas and its stakeholders.

This position will play a key role in developing innovative food formulations in our new EMEA Food Kitchen, which is part of Global Solution centers. You will support activities and projects of our Essen Food Solutions Centre. You will need to work seamlessly with our food chef and commercial teams, to create innovative new food creations utilizing the ingredients from manufacturers we represent. You will also act as a technical expert to support our marketing and commercial teams and help develop demonstration material for internal and external events such as trade shows.

Our global labs and food centers are a key part of our business, and as such it expected a strong commercial acumen will be key. This is an exciting opportunity to join a technical community that works in tandem with our commercial colleagues, and thus a pragmatic and positive approach as well as commercial acumen will be essential.

You will support product development, recipe and concepts creation and innovation for our vast food ingredient portfolio and applications. You will bring your culinary insights, knowledge of food science/ technology and recipe development skills and creative mindset to guide internal and external stakeholders in the food industry to translate food trends into manufacturable products through innovative concepts. You will work with our key suppliers featuring their ingredients in specific applications while also working to solve formulation problems using these ingredients for key customer projects. With a curiosity for consumer demand and food trends, you will work in our flagship EMEA Solutions Centre, based in Essen, Germany. You will report into our Food Development Chef in Essen.

• Develop new products prototypes to demonstrate ingredient’s function and improve products with key customers in applications like baking, prepard food, dairy or plant- based food
• Working closely with marketing, sales and product management teams to develop new consumer products or formulation
• Create and prepare detailed results of trials and testing panels for review and summaries the results in technical reports
• Prepare bench top samples and evaluated ingredients and process performance of product against product attributes and customer specification
• Develop recipes & new products for industry tradeshows
• Responsible for leading engaging product demonstrations through live or recorded webinars and trainings
• Work closely with marketing to create promotional content for campaigns and the digital knowledge center
• Under guidance of Food Development Chef plan and complete tasks while maintaining accurate and complete records. An eye for detail and dedication to technical precision is essential
• Establish and implement finished product specifications
• Work with commercial kitchen equipment and develop work flow procedures (SOPs)
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area, including the cleaning of equipment, utensils, and work surfaces

• A true and demonstrable passion for food – not only food science, but for the creation of creation of great food products that appeal to modern consumer trends
• Good communication skills (verbal and written) and the ability to develop successful business relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent computer skills including MS Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint as well as CRM platforms such as Salesforce.com
• Good presentation skills, engaging personality with ability to inspire innovation
• Driving license

• Ideally a degree in Food Science/ Food Technology is preferred, but consideration will be given to relevant industry experience
• Experience with product development
• 2+ years of relevant work experience
• Experience with ingredient functionality
• Knowledge in food product design, formulation, process design, product scale-up, plant testing and commercialization
• Whilst we seek a broad food expertise, an in depth understanding of bakery and dairy products is appreciated
• Knowledge of starches and their use would be a significant advantage