Senior R&D Manager - Cote d'Or Chocolate

Reporting to the Director , MEU Chocolate R&D, you'll operate at the intersection of science, strategy, and storytelling. You'll build and execute a cohesive R&D vision across the total Cote D'Or chocolate business, partnering closely with Commercial, Supply Chain, and R&D leaders to turn consumer insights into exceptional products and huge brand growth. This role puts you in constant dialogue with Directors and VPs, so the ability to communicate with clarity and confidence is non-negotiable. This is also a genuine career springboard. Beyond leading Cote d'Or, you'll work alongside the MEU R&D Leadership Team on shaping new ways of working, R&D strategy, and organisational effectiveness - building the experience and visibility that leads to future senior leadership roles.

Who You Are

You're a strategic thinker who loves all aspects of product development. You see the bigger picture, connect the dots between consumer desires, brand ambition, and operational reality, and you bring people along with you. You communicate brilliantly - whether you're translating complex technical concepts for a marketing team, aligning priorities with Supply Chain partners, or presenting a bold portfolio strategy to senior leaders. People seek you out, not just for your expertise, but because you make collaboration feel effortless. You're a recognised expert in product development (chocolate experience is strongly preferred, but not a dealbreaker), and you stay curious - scanning inside and outside the company for ideas that drive growth. You're the person who walks into a crowded room and makes the thinking sharper, the ambition bigger, and the plan more actionable.

What You'll Do

• Lead R&D strategy for Cote d'Or across Growth, Quality Improvement, Brand Maintenance, and Productivity - with potential to expand to other MEU platforms and brands in future
• Develop, co-ordinate and drive cross-platform strategic plans, translating business needs into clear project objectives and creative solutions
• Champion consumer-centric product design, ensuring every innovation delivers an outstanding experience
• Design robust processes that consistently bring your vision from bench to shelf
• Identify value through smarter design - improving quality where it matters, reducing cost where it doesn't
• Strengthen, leverage and protect our brand equity assets with the care they deserve
• Navigate a matrix organisation with confidence, mobilising R&D resources, leveraging the CDO TCE, cocoa specialists, and other experts to deliver one aligned plan for growth

The Secret Ingredient (That's You)

A self-starter with infectious energy, a collaborative instinct, and the kind of curiosity that makes you connect dots others didn't even know existed. You don't wait for permission to make things better - you just do it, and you bring people with you.

Your Network

You'll collaborate across a broad ecosystem, primarily:

• MEU R&D Chocolate Leadership Team and all platform leads including process, pack and productivity as well as R&D peers
• Cote d'Or global SME/TCE and global mass team
• Cote d'Or Equity and Marketing Teams, centrally and across all MEU BUs
• MEU Supply Chain - PCM, Procurement, Manufacturing Operations, Engineering, CS & CI
• Design, Sustainability, Regulatory, and Global Nutrition teams

The Essentials

This role is primarily strategic, and pilot plant work will primarily be achieved through others. Some travel for meetings, trials and stakeholder engagement will be required.

• Exceptional communicator - you influence diverse audiences and translate technical detail for non-technical partners with ease
• Collaborative influencer - you navigate perspectives, negotiate effectively, and bring stakeholders along across countries and functions
• Creative problem solver - high analytical acumen paired with genuinely original thinking
• Network builder - you create connections well beyond R&D, and leverage external resources proactively
• Innovation champion - you bring external thinking in and drive Innovation Excellence forward
• Mentor and role model - you actively develop junior talent and elevate the R&D community

Education

Education : Higher education in Food Technology, Science or related disciplines. A scientific degree is an advantage, paired with significant business experience. Experience : 8-10 years in product/packaging development, predominantly in the food industry. Work mix : 60% office-based, with up to 20% business travel as needed. Languages : Fluent English is essential. Additional European languages are a welcome bonus.

Are You Ready to Make It Happen at Mondelēz International?

Join our Mission to Lead the Future of Snacking. Make It With Pride. This is a newly created, strategic role leading R&D for the iconic Cote d'Or brand across the MEU chocolate portfolio - tablets, pralines, countlines, and seasonals. You won't just manage projects; you'll shape the future of one of the world's most loved chocolate brands., At Mondelēz International, our purpose is to empower people to snack right through offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. That means delivering a broader range of delicious, high-quality snacks that nourish life's moments, made with sustainable ingredients and packaging that consumers can feel good about. We have a rich portfolio of strong brands - both global and local. Including many household names such as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. We are proud to hold the number 1 position globally in biscuits, chocolate and candy as well as the No. 2 position in gum Our 80,000 Makers and Bakers are located in our operations in more than 80 countries and are working to sell our products in over 150 countries around the world. They are energized for growth and critical to us living our purpose and values. We are a diverse community that can make things happen, and happen fast.