At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over.
Your Responsibilities-
Director Product Development & Applications Africa is accountable for defining, leading and scaling ADM Human Nutrition technical strategy across Africa, with direct responsibility for the application labs in the region.
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Operating in close partnership with the Regional Commercial Lead, this role ensures full alignment between commercial growth objectives and technical capabilities, acting as a co‑owner of regional success. The Director provides strategic direction, operational governance, and people leadership to deliver sustainable growth, technical excellence and strong customer proximity in a rapidly developing region.
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This role is a key enabler of greenfield initiatives, regional capability build‑up and long‑term organizational design for Africa.
You-
Define and lead the regional application and technical strategy for Africa, aligned with ADM Human Nutrition’s business priorities and growth goals.
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Provide overall leadership and governance of the African application lab network ensuring consistent standards in safety, quality, compliance and execution.
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Act as a strategic partner to the Regional Commercial Lead, co‑owning regional performance by translating commercial strategy and pipeline into technically robust and scalable solutions, , providing expert guidance on formulation, applications, and manufacturing across beverage and Foodservice categories.
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Lead and oversee greenfield initiatives, including the setup of new application labs, expansion of technical capabilities, and implementation of new operating models from feasibility to go‑live.
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Own and continuously review the regional organization design for Application & Technical Services, assessing capability needs and defining appropriate structures, roles and phased resource plans.
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Define, lead and govern the regional co‑manufacturer structure, including assessment, selection and technical qualification of partners to support regional manufacturing needs.
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Lead the co‑manufacturer selection process in close cross‑functional collaboration with Quality, Regulatory, Operations, Supply Chain and Legal, ensuring compliance, robustness and long‑term sustainability of the manufacturing network.
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Oversee and prioritize a regional portfolio of customer, innovation and industrialization projects, ensuring disciplined execution, effective resource allocation and timely delivery.
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Act as the senior technical escalation point for complex customer, regulatory, operational and quality issues across Africa, including those involving co‑manufacturing partners.
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Build, lead and develop a high‑performing, multi‑site technical team, fostering accountability, technical excellence, collaboration and a strong customer‑centric mindset.
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Drive strong cross‑functional collaboration with Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality and Development Headquarters to ensure alignment and speed of execution.
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Represent the African region within EMEA and global technical networks, ensuring leverage of global expertise while adapting solutions to regional market needs.
