Director of Research Development

RD&A Director - Indian Subcontinent (R&D Director) Retained Assignment - Exclusive to Ingredient Jobs . Please contact Executive Recruiter, Richard McGawley, if you prefer a discreet and confidential conversation before applying for the role. 20+ years of experience preferred. All applicants can expect a review and reply within one week. Job advert closing Saturday 7th March . ---- Kerry is a global leader in taste and nutrition solutions, committed to inspiring food and nourishing life. With over 22,000 employees and 150+ innovation and manufacturing sites across 30+ countries, we partner with many of the world‘s best-known food, beverage, and pharma brands. In the Indian Subcontinent, we are accelerating growth through customer-led innovation - bringing differentiated taste solutions to market across key end-use segments including Snacks, Meat, Beverage, and Bakery. Job Overview The RD&A Director will lead Kerry‘s Research, Development & Application (RD&A) function for the Indian Subcontinent, based at the Kerry RD&A Centre in Bengaluru. Reporting to the Country General Manager, this role is pivotal in delivering the regional growth strategy, building a strong innovation pipeline, and driving step-change impact by leveraging Kerry‘s global RD&A network. This is a senior leadership position managing a team of approximately 8 direct reports and a broader organization of ~40 RD&A professionals. The successful candidate will be a driver of change, able to translate customer and market needs into winning solutions, and foster a high-performance culture across a matrixed organization. Key Responsibilities Lead and manage the RD&A function, ensuring alignment with business strategy, growth targets, and Kerry ways of working. Build and deliver a robust innovation and renovation pipeline by: • Demonstrating deep understanding of customer needs and Kerry‘s technology portfolio (with Taste as an underlying capability across EUMs). • Maintaining a strong view of the competitive landscape and developing differentiated solutions that win in the marketplace. • Evaluating and improving the existing product portfolio to deliver best-in-class, commercially successful products. • Mobilizing and leveraging global Kerry RD&A resources to deliver step-change regional projects. • Tracking project execution against milestones and launch dates. • Develop, coach, and lead a high-performing RD&A team through regular feedback, training, and leadership by example. Partner closely with Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to support: • Plant/process improvements and productivity initiatives. • Business continuity and supply support. • Regulatory readiness (including registrations, audits, and inspections as needed). • Successful transfer of innovations into plants and scalable manufacturing. • Serve as technical lead for selected key accounts - acting as the main contact to drive consistency, quality of service, and customer confidence. • Actively contribute as a member of the Indian Subcontinent leadership team, shaping priorities and enabling cross-functional delivery. • Contribute to the broader regional RD&A strategy across MISA and Asia Pacific, creating a vision and roadmap aligned to business goals. Skills • Strong leadership capability with a proven ability to build, motivate, and develop high-performing teams. • Customer-centric mindset with the ability to translate technical insight into clear, compelling solutions. • Deep technical expertise in food science / food technology, product development, and application. • Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to influence in a complex, highly matrixed environment. • Commercially minded innovator with demonstrated success bringing solutions to market. • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills; decisive decision-maker grounded in data, experience, and pragmatism. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, comfortable engaging internal and external stakeholders at senior levels. Requirements • Master‘s degree or PhD in Food Science / Food Technology (or related discipline). • 15+ years‘ experience in RD&A leadership roles within a regulated food/ingredients industry (food, beverage, and/or pharma). • Experience across multiple Asia Pacific markets, with strong understanding of the regional business environment and regulations. • Demonstrated experience preparing and managing budgets and leading resource allocation (people and spend). • Proven track record of commercial innovation and successful scale-up/technology transfer to manufacturing plants. • Ability to adapt to changing business priorities with urgency and accountability. • Willingness to travel as required. Why It‘s Great to Work Here This role offers the opportunity to lead a strategically critical function in a global organization known for innovation in taste and nutrition. You‘ll work with talented teams, state-of-the-art facilities, and a broad global RD&A network - shaping the innovation agenda for a high-growth region while partnering directly with customers and senior leadership. Kerry provides an environment where leaders are empowered to deliver impact, develop talent, and bring winning solutions to market.