Productivity Technologist (R&D)

About Flora Food GroupWe offer consumers a compelling choice in four growing categories: butters and spreads, creams, liquids and cheeses. We hold leadership positions in many of the 100 countries we operate in, with iconic brands including Flora, Becel+ProActiv, Blue Band, Country Crock, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Rama, and Violife, together with our local brands and Professional business.Global branded food champion Flora Food Group, offers the next generation of delicious, natural, nutritious food. Our products are more affordable and more sustainable than their dairy equivalents.About The RoleWe’re seeking a proactive and technically skilled Productivity Technologist to join our team, specializing in the Spreads category. This role plays a pivotal part in bridging product development and manufacturing, ensuring that new and improved formulations and packaging are efficiently scaled up for commercial production.As part of the Value Creation & Productivity (VCP) team within R&D, you’ll contribute to innovation, renovation, and cost-saving initiatives for spreads. Your focus will be on cost and complexity reduction, efficiency improvements, and value creation, leveraging the full breadth of technical expertise across R&D functions.You’ll be based in Tultitlán, Mexico, working from our Flora Food Mexico offices and manufacturing unit, where projects are upscaled and implemented into the factory and brought to market.You’ll also be part of the Mexico R&D team, with responsibilities focused on LATAM productivity projects, and collaborating closely with our Global R&D Team based at the Food Science Centre in Wageningen, Netherlands.Key ResponsibilitiesIdentify and implement optimizations in product, process, and packaging to drive cost reductions and operational efficiency of spreadable products (e.g., margarine, plant-based spreads, nut butters) and creams.Address technical challenges and develop creative, cost-effective solutions aligned with business and operational needs.Collaborate cross-functionally with teams in R&D, procurement, finance, supply chain, quality, and consumer safety to ensure cost reductions without compromising product safety, quality, or regulatory compliance.Translate lab and pilot-scale formulations into scalable, robust production processes.Design and execute plant trials, analyze results, and recommend process improvements.Develop and maintain process documentation including HACCP, SOPs, process flow diagrams, and control parameters for productivity projects.What You’ll BringA degree in Food Technology, Food Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.3+ years of relevant experience in product, process, and packaging development and implementation.Strong technical leadership and hands-on expertise in scaling up projects from lab to factory.Experience working across cultures and regions, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and fast-paced environments.A collaborative mindset and a self-starter attitude, capable of independently planning and executing factory trials and driving continuous improvement.Analytical skills to interpret factory and pilot trial data, with knowledge of food processing, emulsification, and packaging as a plus.Fluency in English (spoken and written).Willingness to travel to other factories as needed to support project execution.What You Bring To The TeamA passion for optimizing systems to improve efficiency and reduce costs.A hands-on, creative approach to implementing practical solutions.Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage with diverse stakeholders.A results-driven mindset focused on delivering measurable outcomes.We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Flora Food Group is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles. Flora Food Group is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias. No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Flora Food Group. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.