GRDQ Gum Base Industrialization & Process Specialist

Main Purpose of the role

For our GumBase production plant, we are looking for a new colleague who will join our R&D team.

The Industrialization & Process Specialist leads key industrialization and process projects for gum base technologies, supporting scale‑up, process optimization, and manufacturing implementation across global sites.
The role acts as a critical link between R&D, Engineering and Operations to ensure robust, efficient, and scalable processes while supporting innovation, quality, and business continuity.

What you will do

• Lead scale‑up of new gum base formulations and ingredients from lab/pilot scale to full industrial production;
• Define, validate and optimize process parameters;
• Support plant trials, ramp‑up phases, troubleshooting, and process stabilization;
• Drive improvements in process robustness, efficiency, quality, and cost;
• Support process simplification, new equipment integration, and standardization;
• Act as technical interface between Research & Development, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and suppliers
• Support manufacturing sites on trials, deviation management, and continuous improvement initiatives;
• Share best practices and technical learnings across global gum base units;
• Own industrialization workstreams within complex projects, including risk management, timelines, and reporting
• Ensure accurate technical documentation and compliance with internal standards and procedures
• Support master data readiness, system alignment, and Bill of Materials (BOM) accuracy.

Our Perfect Candidate

• Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Materials Science, or related field;
• 5 years in industrialization, process engineering, or manufacturing support, experience in food or pharmaceutical related industries is preferred;
• Proven experience scaling processes from lab to industrial scale;
• Hands‑on experience with plant trials and process validation;
• Experience working within global, matrix organizations;
• Strong knowledge of process engineering and material behavior;
• Fluent in English;
• Structured, pragmatic, and solution‑oriented mindset;
• Solid project management and prioritization skills;
• Clear communicator with strong ownership and accountability;
• Readiness in mobility across global sites.

The position offers a gross annual salary between 45,000€ and 50,000€. Additional compensation and company benefits may also apply and will be discussed and defined during the selection process and on an individual basis.

At Perfetti Van Melle, we believe the strength of our team lies in diversity. We create a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected, and empowered to grow.