JOB TITLE: HUL Foods Lead Product Development Specialist, India
LOCATION: Unilever R&D Bangalore, India
ABOUT UNILEVER
With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.
At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.
BUSINESS CONTEXT AND MAIN CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE:
Prospective candidates need to work on innovation, renovation and value engineering projects as per the brief agreed with the business involving Product & Process Development, Regulatory compliance and Technology transfer.
Key role will be Planning and execution of experiments where one needs to develop experimental plan and prototypes of new products as per discussions with Technical Project Leaders (TPLs). Conduct relevant experiments at either lab-scale or pilot-scale (Individual responsibility). Data Analysis and drawing inferences for future course of action will be key enabler on this role. Conducting a thorough analysis of the data and planning of subsequent experimentations on the inferences drawn from the data analysis will be a very important skill for this role.
ROLE ALSO INVOLVES BELOW RESPONSIBILITIES:
Consumer understanding: understanding consumer preference /insights, cooking habits / techniques through consumer research and translate the same into key attributes of new products being developed.
Claims & Demo generation & substantiation: help developing competitive claims and demo along with substantiation to defend those claims.
Process development: establishing appropriate technology for manufacturing a product to specification at lab-scale and pilot-scale
Shelf-life stability: conduct shelf-life studies to establish shelf-life of new products and/or intervene through formulation/recipes to enhance shelf-life
Product characterization: use appropriate measurement techniques (either existing or develop new techniques) to characterize key attributes of the product
Process scale-up: establish technology developed at pilot-scale in factories to enable commercial production; troubleshooting at factory-scale whenever required
Competitor Tracking: keeping track of new launches by competitors in the market and preparing detailed reports on a quarterly basis.
Quality Monitoring: Monitoring of in market delivered quality of products as well as helping factories/suppliers on quality related matters
Critical Success Factors of the Job:
Key Competencies & Skills:
Having the right attitude is crucial as it drives accountability, responsibility, and a growth mindset, which are essential for success in any role
Collaboration and Networking
Project management experience
Hold on Technical Specification
Creative thinking
Technical reporting skills
Exposure to Ecosystem partnership
Supplier/vendor development experience
Regulatory Knowledge
Quality management
Competency in English communication
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:
M. Sc. / B.Tech Food Tech/Science
Minimum 4-5 years of experience in Foods/Beverages R&D background preferred. Candidates with QA/QC background at relevant industries with creative bend of mind can also apply.
Any other critical personal characteristics
Occasional 1 to 5 nights travel
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
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.
Unilever Insights
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What We Do
Be part of the world’s most successful, purpose-led business. Work with brands that are well-loved around the world, that improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We promote innovation, big and small, to make our business win and grow; and we believe in business as a force for good. Unleash your curiosity, challenge ideas and disrupt processes; use your energy to make this happen. Our brilliant business leaders and colleagues provide mentorship and inspiration, so you can be at your best. Our portfolio ranges from nutritionally balanced foods to indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos and everyday household care products. We produce world-leading brands including Lipton, Knorr, Dove, Axe, Hellmann’s and Omo, alongside trusted local names and innovative-forward thinking brands like Ben & Jerry’s, The Dollar Shave Club and Dermalogica. Every individual here can bring their purpose to life through their work. Join us and you’ll be surrounded by inspiring leaders and supportive peers. Among them, you’ll channel your purpose, bring fresh ideas to the table, and simply be you. As you work to make a real impact on the business and the world, we’ll work to help you become a better you.
