Director of R&D; – Pet Food IngredientsLe seguenti informazioni hanno lo scopo di fornire ai potenziali candidati una migliore comprensione dei requisiti per questo ruolo.Location: Italy (Onsite)Role OverviewMy client is seeking an experienced Director of R&D; to lead innovation and product development across its pet food ingredient portfolio.This is a senior leadership role combining hands-on technical expertise, people leadership, and strategic input at European level.The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping future product pipelines, supporting customer-specific formulation work, and contributing to M&A; technical evaluations, while building and leading a high-performing R&D; team in a newly established laboratory environment.Key ResponsibilitiesLead and develop an R&D; team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellenceDrive the development of new products across pet food applicationsOversee the continuous improvement and optimisation of existing products, focusing on performance, palatability, stability, and cost efficiencyTranslate customer requirements into tailored formulations, working closely with commercial and technical stakeholders to deliver differentiated solutionsProvide technical and formulation expertise to support customer projects and strategic partnershipsConduct technical due diligence and product analysis for potential M&A; targets, assessing formulation robustness, scalability, and innovation potentialOperate within and help shape workflows in a newly built laboratory, supporting method development, testing, and validationAct as a member of the European leadership team, contributing to R&D; strategy, innovation roadmaps, and long-term growth plans across EuropeCandidate Profile***** years' experience in R&D; within ingredients, nutrition, or pet food/feed-related industriesMaster's degree or PhD in Animal Nutrition, Food Science, or a closely related discipline xdwybmeProven experience working with palat