Global Food Technology Implementation Specialist (H/F/X)

Job Description:Segment: Royal CaninType of contract: PermanentLocation: Aimargues (Campus) near Montpellier, France

As the Global Food Technology Specialist , you will be at the forefront of shaping the future of Royal Canin by leading the introduction of innovative raw materials, processes, and products across a dynamic international network of over 15 manufacturing sites. You will serve as the driving force behind Royal Canin’s R&D process and product leadership, expertly evaluating and mitigating industrialization risks to ensure the seamless and successful rollout of groundbreaking innovations.

The Global Food Technology Specialist will be pivotal in defining and developing robust R&D specifications that set the standard for excellence in manufacturing—both for existing Petfood technologies and pioneering new advancements. This encompasses the full spectrum of specifications, from raw material processing and product quality to process flow, sequence, and equipment parameter settings, empowering our teams to deliver superior products that enrich the lives of pets worldwide.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in a relevant technical or scientific discipline such as Food Science/Technology, Biological, Chemical, Engineering sciences.
• Demonstrated >10 years industry experience in petfood and/or food technology development, process & product scale-up and/or implementation as R&D engineer or Quality & Food Safety Engineer.
• Lean 6‑Sigma Green belt or Black belt certification is a plus.
• Experience working in a multicultural and international company.
• Experience or interest in nutrition within the food environment will be considered an asset.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Global Industrialization of new petfood products: take ownership of the industrialization process across more than 15 manufacturing sites worldwide, ensuring smooth transition from R&D prototypes to full production, consolidate feedback, conduct risk assessments, define and validate specifications, and oversee first production runs.
• Develop, define and maintain R&D specifications for petfood products: write and update comprehensive process and product specifications covering raw material processing, product quality attributes, process flows and equipment parameters, ensuring coverage of existing manufacturing standards and new technologies.
• Define process and product validation requirements supporting new equipment or new production lines commissioning: plan resources, develop training, ensure validation protocols are up to date, support project handovers, and continuously improve protocols.
• Drive cross‑functional collaboration and manage knowledge related to product & process: collaborate with central R&D teams and regional engineers, facilitate knowledge sharing and training, establish a comprehensive knowledge management system with detailed documentation of specifications and best practices.
• Apply problem solving and statistical process control (SPC): navigate complex technical and operational challenges using structured problem‑solving methodologies and proactively employ SPC tools to monitor, analyze and optimize manufacturing processes.

Benefits

• Work in a multicultural environment with over 40 nationalities and collaborate with more than 100 associate dogs in the office.
• Work in a unique campus hosting more than 800 associates, international HQ, French subsidiary, two laboratories, a kennel and cattery, and the most important Royal Canin factory.