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.
Unilever Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Unilever and has not been reviewed or approved by Unilever.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and occupational health support alongside a 24/7 employee assistance program. Wellbeing offerings such as health checks, resilience tools, and counseling support the perceived depth of health-related benefits.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support includes a 401(k) match that reaches up to 5% of base salary, strengthening the overall value of the package. Share and savings options are also referenced as part of longer-term financial support beyond salary.
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Flexible Benefits — Benefits customization is enabled through tools such as a “My Reward” system and a “Benefits Envelope” that allows employees to personalize selections. Flexible working approaches are also associated with improved overall satisfaction, reinforcing perceived choice and adaptability in the total rewards offering.
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