1. Positioning within the organization

• Department: Advanced Technology Ingredient
• Division: Analytical Sciences
• Reports to: Analytical Sciences Director     

2. Department context and challenges

• The main missions of the Advanced Technologies R&I Division are to:
• Create innovative and differentiating technological solutions to meet consumer and patient needs, within an approach that integrates the OPOH strategic framework. The priorities of this Division include in particular:
  • Plant-based solutions
  • Optimization of milk and dairy ingredients
  • Packaging transformation
  • Development of innovative ingredients
  • Development and mastery of technologies and processes enabling innovation and fast go-to-market, excellence in execution and investment optimization
  • Simplification of developments through the creation and combination of high value-added technology building blocks
• Support Zone/CBU teams in charge of short-term projects (H1) in finding solutions to their issues when high-level expertise is required
• Develop and equip the organization with leading capabilities, standards and systems, leveraging digital tools in close coordination with D2D.
• More specifically, the Advanced Technologies – Ingredients department is responsible for developing innovative ingredients and providing expertise across various existing or emerging ingredient categories, as well as anticipating scientific and technological solutions through the promotion and development of our ecosystem.

Within this department, the Analytical Sciences team is responsible for:

• Providing analytical expertise to R&I projects:
  • characterization of raw materials, ingredients, finished or intermediate products, packaging materials and strains,
  • analysis of competitors’ products,
  • in vitro tests, challenge tests,
  • characterization of product composition and organoleptic profiles (aromas and texture),
• Building a network of analytical and scientific experts (academics, suppliers) and structuring partnerships
• Developing analytical methods tailored to the needs of all Danone Group stakeholders (R&I, Quality, factories) on food matrices, which may potentially be transferred to third-party laboratories.
• Providing technological solutions to optimize product production and quality.

3. Main missions

Within the Analytical Sciences Division, you manage a team of scientific experts dedicated to the structural characterization of food matrices.

Your mission is to develop innovative analytical methods adapted to complex matrices and to leverage state-of-the-art analytical approaches to understand structure–function–sensory relationships.

You will contribute to promoting the Danone Group’s analytical expertise through scientific communications. Drawing on your internal and external scientific network, you will identify emerging technologies and potential scientific collaborators in your field of interest.

4. Main responsibilities

Leadership & scientific management

• Manage a team of managers and technicians (priorities, resources, skills development)
• Define the scientific roadmap for structural analyses and innovative technical directions
• Ensure scientific excellence and data robustness

Analytical expertise & innovation

• Deploy high-performance structural characterization techniques:
  • Quantitative microscopy / imaging
  • Morphological and textural analysis
  • Spectroscopies
• Develop new approaches to link structure ↔ texture ↔ sensory perception
• Contribute to the modeling and digitalization of analytical data
• Be accountable for implementing Safety standards and managing the analytical equipment portfolio within your scope of responsibility.

Contribution to R&I projects

• Support R&I teams on:
  • Understanding molecular and structural mechanisms
  • Optimizing formulas and processes
  • Solving complex issues
  • Accelerate innovation by identifying actionable levers to optimize dairy, plant-based, infant nutrition and beverage products, as well as industrial processes, in connection with sensory attributes and consumer preference 

Scientific network & influence

• Build a network of partners (academics, start-ups, suppliers)
• Identify and integrate emerging technologies
• Represent Analytical Sciences internally and externally
• Communicate scientific advances through publications and/or presentations at international conferences

5. Scope of the role

• Responsible for the structural analysis laboratory
• Ambassador for analytical sciences in their field of expertise.
• Manages engineers and technicians and trains them in Danone-specific methods and good laboratory practices

6. Main functional relationships

Internal to the Danone Group

• Analytical Sciences teams
• Danone Research WW R&I teams
• Quality & Food Safety teams
• Cross-functional teams: intellectual property, legal and purchasing

External to the Danone Group

• Academic scientific experts
• Suppliers
• Analytical experts from other companies
• Professional groups and learned societies
• Partner and subcontractor laboratories

7. Required skills

• Scientific level: Minimum Master’s degree or equivalent in Materials Science, Biophysics, Physical Measurements, Food Science or Biochemistry
• Solid experience in analytical research, and more specifically in structural analysis of complex matrices (food, cosmetic or biological).
• Required technical skills:
  • Mastery of the following analytical approaches:

               - rheology

               - texture

               - microscopy (widefield, confocal, fluorescence, etc.)

               - labeling methodologies

• • Skills or a strong interest in programming, image processing and the use of image analysis software would be a plus
  • Experience in complex data processing and awareness of data quality, structuring and standardization challenges
  • Technical knowledge of spectroscopy (e.g. Raman, IR, NMR) would be a plus
• Solid knowledge of biochemistry
• Strong expertise in the characterization of complex food matrices (dairy, plant-based, beverages)
• Experience with industrial processes in the agri-food sector would be a plus
• Significant managerial experience in people management
• Ability to make decisions in urgent situations
• Responsiveness, autonomy, initiative, curiosity, teamwork
• Strategic vision and ability to prioritize
• Scientific rigor and critical thinking
• Ability to work cross-functionally and in an international environment
• Excellent communication skills (scientific and popularization)
• Fluent English, both spoken and written

One Planet, One Health - BY YOU!

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Every day, you will make decisions that have an impact on our economic and social performance, as well as on our ability to achieve our ambitions.
At Danone, you can simply be yourself. We believe it's up to YOU to define the way you work, develop and grow.
With us, you'll work in a challenging, authentic and caring environment.

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