Fermentation & Enzyme Innovation Manager

We design customised savoury solutions for our clients operating in the food industry, food service, butchery and nutrition markets. With sustainability at the heart of our business model, we aim to produce food that is good in every sense of the word: delicious, nourishing, affordable, sustainable and convenient.

Solina is a fast-growing business, with around 50 production sites and R&D laboratories present in more than 19 countries mainly in Europe and North America.

By constantly rethinking culinary solutions, we make food matter for people and the planet.

If you're ready for a new adventure in a dynamic, expanding, passionate, international company, join us

Our Future Food team serves as the internal innovation hub with a bold mission: create novel science and unlock new value for the Solina business through breakthrough innovation. As part of our journey towards healthier, more sustainable and differentiated food solutions, we are launching a new strategic capability in company, fermentation and enzyme technology, with a strong focus on savory applications.

We are looking for an expert leader on fermentation and enzyme technology to lead and build this capability within Solina — someone who combines deep technical mastery with strong business acumen & entrepreneurship, and is ready to shape the future of food at Solina.

Key Responsibilities

Lead R&D (technical & scientific)

• Lead the design, development and validation of fermentation and enzyme technologies targeted at savory food solutions. This includes in-house R&D work, and external collaboration with suppliers & start-ups
• Together with the application specialists in the company, implement the approved & developed R&D innovations in line with Solina’s savory food solutions, applications and factories
• Continue to build-out and oversee a dedicated fermentation research lab (equipment, safety, protocols)
• Coach and manage 1-2 R&D people of the future food team who are working on the selected fermentation projects; microbial selection, fermentation design, enzymatic processes, ingredient valorization and functional performance
• Continue to develop and execute a strategy & roadmap for Solina to be successful in fermentation & enzyme technology

Support Business & Market Integration

• Together with the application specialists of Solina, identify high-potential applications of fermentation and enzyme tech in the savory food segment
• Support in business cases: estimate market size, assess value creation potential, and align technical efforts with commercial opportunity

Build Capability & Infrastructure

• Lead the design at lab scale and potential scale-up from lab to pilot scale
• Support the potential further scale-up to industrial fermentation and facilities (industrial implementation of approved innovations) together with the production departments
• Build external partnerships (start-ups, academia, equipment suppliers) to accelerate innovation

Your Profile

Expertise & Experience

• MSc or PhD in Food Technology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology or related
• 7+ years experience in fermentation and enzyme technologies, ideally within savory food or ingredient development
• Proven experience within R&D in terms of enzymes & fermentation (act as an expert on the topic)
• Affinity with implementation (being able to support the implementation/execution together with other teams) in line with Solina’s savory food solutions, applications and factories
• Experience with valorization of waste or side-streams into value-added ingredients is a strong plus
• Familiarity with industrial process design, including upstream/downstream fermentation (to be able to support implementation of approved innovations)

Competencies

• Strong technical skills on fermentation & enzyme technology; both in development, as in implementation
• Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on
• Natural business acumen: understanding the market drivers
• Good communication skills: able to liaise between technical and other teams (internal & external)
• Strong leadership/manager skills to drive projects & project teams, and coach 1-2 researchers directly on a day-to-day basis
• You enjoy regular business travel to build-up relationships and drive international projects
• You are able to come to the Solina office on a regular basis in Eke, Belgium
• Fluent in English

What Solina Offers

• A key strategic role within an international company with the ability to build-out & execute a new innovation domain
• The chance to realize breakthrough innovative projects within an entrepreneurial company; build the team, execute innovative projects, build capabilities & install the right processes & equipment