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 love 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.

Job Purpose

At Unilever Food Solutions, our purpose is to Free Chefs to love what they do. We work with Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers to create exciting menus that are good for diners, and good for the planet. Our brands include Knorr Professional & Best Foods— trusted and used by chefs and F&B operators every day.

Job Summary
The UFS R&D Support Manager – Future Technologies (SEA) plays a critical role in enabling the development and deployment of future-fit innovations across Southeast Asia. The role supports the pipeline of breakthrough technologies, accelerates innovation readiness, and strengthens technical capabilities to drive sustainable growth aligned with UFS strategy. This role partners closely with R&D leads, business teams, and external partners to translate emerging technologies into scalable, impactful solutions for the UFS portfolio.

Key Responsibilities
1. Future Technology Exploration & Deployment

Identify, evaluate, and validate emerging technologies relevant to UFS categories (e.g., cooking aids, condiments, foodservice solutions).
Support translation of early-stage concepts into viable prototypes and scalable solutions.
Contribute to building a mid-to-long-term technology roadmap aligned with business and innovation priorities.

2. Innovation Pipeline Support

Enable innovation projects by providing technical guidance, feasibility assessment, and risk mitigation.
Ensure technologies are development-ready and aligned with product, process, and consumer requirements.
Support delivery of innovation projects on time and in full in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

3. Capability & Knowledge Building

Build and strengthen R&D capabilities in future technologies, including digital tools, formulation science, and process innovation.
Drive knowledge sharing across SEA markets and with global R&D teams.
Support training initiatives to upskill teams in emerging technology areas.

4. Cross-functional & External Collaboration

Partner with Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Quality teams to ensure seamless technology integration into product development.
Collaborate with external partners such as suppliers, startups, universities, and technology providers.

5. Project & Portfolio Management

Manage a portfolio of technology support initiatives aligned with business priorities.
Monitor progress, risks, and resource allocation to ensure effective delivery.
Contribute to strategic decision-making on future innovation investments.

6. Governance, Compliance & Sustainability

Ensure adherence to Unilever standards including safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
Integrate sustainability considerations (e.g., packaging, ingredients, environmental impact) into technology development.

Key Interfaces

UFS R&D Leads (SEA & Global)
Marketing / CD / Business Teams
Supply Chain & Procurement
External innovation partners (startups, academia, suppliers)

Qualifications & Experience Required

Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field
Significant experience in R&D, product development, or technology development within FMCG or food industry more than 5 years
Proven track record in innovation, project management, and cross-functional collaboration
Strong understanding of product development, scale-up, and commercialization processes
Strong English communication and presentation skills.

Preferred

Experience in Cooking Aids / Condiments categories
Exposure to digital, AI, or advanced food technologies
Regional (SEA) or global project experience

Key Skills

Innovation mindset with strong curiosity for emerging technologies
Stakeholder management and influencing without authority
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
Ability to work in diverse, multicultural environments
Agile and resilient in fast-changing, complex environments

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.

UFS R&D Support Manager, Future Technologies SEA