Head of Nutrition Research

**Who we are**

On any given day, 2.5 billion people globally use Unilever products to feel good, look good and get more out of life. Many of our brands are well-known, household staples and old-time favourites including Dove, Rexona, Lynx, Vaseline, OMO/Persil, Surf, TRESemmé, Continental, Ben & Jerry’s and Streets.

We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world’s first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap more than 100 years ago, and it’s at the heart of how we run our company today. In 2022 Unilever Australia & New Zealand became a Certified B Corporation (B Corp), joining a growing network of organisations committed to galvanising a stronger, more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy for all.

A job at Unilever is a career made by you, with development opportunities, benefits and a working culture that embraces diversity and is pioneering flexibility. There’s no better time to join our team

At Unilever ANZ, we have also embarked on something special: we are proud to be undertaking a 4 Day work week trial. This trial will see our staff retain 100 percent of their salaries, while working 80 percent of the time and delivering 100 percent of business outcomes. **The Head of Nutrition Research & Development, ANZ role is designed to be fully functional in the 4-Day work week trial.**

**Background**

Unilever has a vibrant business in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) of which the Nutrition portfolio is a critically important part. Unilever’s focus is to serve the local consumer needs across the two countries through great tasting, convenient, healthy, and environmentally sustainable products. The Nutrition business is an element of the EuMETANZ Business Unit.

The Nutrition portfolio is made-up of two platform: Dressings and Scratch Cooking and Snacking, with lead brands Hellmann’s and Continental. The business ambition is to drive growth, margin, and market share and the continue to drive the growth momentum and improve profitability.

The Nutrition R&D team is organized as in two platforms as outlined above and consists of the following capabilities: Formulation, Processing, Chef Manship, Digital and Data, Packaging with support from the Regulatory and Diet & Health team. The team works hand in hand with the Marketing, CS&P (sales), SC leads and Procurement together with the wider BU organization.

**Job Summary**

We are looking for a Head of the ANZ Nutrition R&D organisation, a dynamic personality who can lead the local team, be an inspiring business partner to the ANZ business and co-lead the business agenda. While delivering the Growth agenda, also ensuring delivery of Unilever’s commitments around Boldly healthier diets - Unilever’s Science based Nutrition Criteria, Positive Nutrition and Net Zero ambitions.

This role is a core member of the ANZ Nutrition leadership team and reports to the Director of R&D Nutrition EU-MET-ANZ, with a dotted line to ANZ Nutrition Business lead.

**Role Responsibilities**

The key roles and responsibilities of this role would be:

- Independent leader of the R&D function in ANZ, able to describe the ANZ requirements to the wider (EU based) organization and confident and comfortable taking project, resource, and prioritization decisions
- Coach and lead the ANZ R&D team to empower them to develop the products and processes, as well as inspiration and selling stories for the ANZ business to achieve their goals
- Develop the R&D team through ongoing coaching to achieve performance. Plan training and learning requirements. Increase connectivity to the EU innovation centers and others globally
- Delivery of the ANZ R&D program as per the agreed priorities, such as growth and market share, margin improvement, resilience, and sustainability
- Ensure alignment to the innovation roadmaps of the BU and closely working together with the local partners to land and execute the growth agenda
- Calamity management with supply chain and procurement; particularly given the geographic position of Australia and New Zealand
- Stakeholder management across the different functions and locations
- Set the strategy for the ANZ R&D team, align and recruit resources to support goals and set the optimum structures and ways of working to meet the ANZ business targets
- Ensures elements of Safety (consumer and scale up of products) are covered off
- As a core member of the ANZ Nutrition leadership team, act as the main R&D contact in senior strategic forums and represent the R&D function on the leadership team
- Lead the screening, allocation, and monitoring process for projects together with the ANZ Nutrition leadership team to ensure best resources are assigned
- Budget and plan for CAPEX and ensure the labs and pilot plant are equipped to provide the latest support
- Maintain operational safety and hygiene for the labs and the pilot plant and protection of the environment