HC Vietnam R&D Lead

Job Title : HC Vietnam R&D Lead

Location : Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The role of the Vietnam (VN) R&D Leader is to act as business partner on the Country Leadership teamfor business in Vietnam. The role has 6 key responsibilities :

• Define & execute a program to meet Vietnam consumer aspirations on our products. This program comprises of both (a) Working with Global Design Centres to land big bold moves in the market & (b) develop local renovation/range extension solutions for the portfolio.

• Partner with SC/Procurement/Finance Teams for a e2e fuel for growth program to manage overall business profitability.

• Identify & proactively develop a product superiority plan vs. key benchmarks in market.

• Implement a forward-looking plan for consumer safety, sustainability & regulatory developments in market.

• Develop & coach the junior team in Vietnam Business Unit for their personal development and business impact.

• Health & well being of Vietnam BU R&D Team.

Other key elements of the role include :

• Business partner for BU Vietnam Leadership Team besides leading the R&D program to input into overall consumer facing BU program.

• First point of call for any country activity that requires R&D input & Responsible to deliver agreed total R&D program in the country in close partnership with Region/Global.

• Drive “Digital First” agenda & mindset to release trapped organizational capacity for Vietnam & Greater Asia Business Unit.

Vietnam is a key strategic market for our business group and the R&D Leader will be playing a critical role to deliver the overall business agenda.

The main accountabilities include :

• Be the voice of consumer in the Country Leadership team (LT). Help identify new trends and technology opportunities and ensure strong links with design teams.

• Develop innovation plans and Ensure timely delivery of R&D elements of agreed total brand innovation plan and agreed saving and simplification plans; own innovation agenda together with Marketing and Supply chain.

• R&D partner for ensuring regulatory compliance, issue management, competitor challenges, relevant industry engagement and advocacy.

• Support to Quality and Consumer complaint management where related to design.

• Drive deep channel understanding and identify relevant growth opportunities using full product portfolio with specific emphasis on “Social First” agenda.

• Lead and manage the R&D team (internal resources), as well as external partners or resources tapped to support the program.

• Lead “Digital First” thinking

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Skills & Competencies

• Consumer empathy

• Technical & Commercial acumen

• Passion to make a difference

• Talent Catalyst

• Decision making under uncertainty

• Collaborate with diverse teams

• Communication skills

Education

• Graduate in relevant Science or Technology courses are preferred.

• FMCG/CPG Background and International exposure are a plus

Relevant experience :

• Proven track record of driving projects and teams, and delivering with speed to a consistently high standard.

• Strong leadership, business acumen and influencing abilities.

• A broad range of R&D experiences across the organization (Global, Cluster/Local) is ideal. Strong exposure and engagement to business teams and cross-functional teams is key.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.