Looking for Your Dream Job? Join The Magnum Ice Cream Company!

Ice Cream Assistant Product Development Manager

The Ice Cream division at Unilever is preparing to stand on its own, aiming to become an independent, EUR 8.3 billion publicly listed company by the end of 2025. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company.​ A place where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded. And where we craft extraordinary ice cream experiences - transforming ordinary moments into lasting memories.​ Because we know, life tastes better with ice cream.​

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is all about growth. Growing our business. Growing our customers’ businesses. Growing our people’s careers.​ Growth begins with empowerment. So we free our people to be innovative, responsible entrepreneurs, driven and equipped to give our consumers more amazing products and unforgettable moments – and having fun doing it.​  

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.  We have been taking pleasure seriously for more than 100 years, serving happiness with every lick or scoop of ice cream for generations.  

We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of The Magnum Ice Cream Company as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen before the end of 2025.  

We dream big but keep things simple to act fast.​ 

If you want to grow with us, make an impact, and shape the future of Ice Cream, this is the place for you! 

JOB PURPOSE

The Ice Cream R&D team embrace agile innovation and are fully connected to countries and markets to land global, regional and local projects in the markets. Ice cream business in METSA is large and highly successful. The business reaches across all Ice Cream experiences in two broad platforms: In Home – familiar in-home tubs, pints and monoportions as well as scooping Out of Home, and Impulse – global and local classics and kid’s favorites, and the regional Ice Cream R&D team design reflects this.

The Ice Cream Regional Design Center (RDC) located in Sarigazi/Istanbul is the driving force behind the creation and delivery of benefit-led, innovative ice cream products across our world-renowned global (e.g. Magnum, Cornetto, Twister), premium local (e.g. Carte D’or, Maras) and regional (e.g. Vienetta) brands. The team embrace agile innovation and are fully connected to country teams to land innovation and renovation projects in the markets. The team is closely connected to local marketing and customer development teams and support their relationships with regulatory authorities, customers (e.g. by developing compelling selling stories that drive sales of our products) and consumers.

The business reaches across all ice cream experiences under two broad platforms: In Home and Food Service (in-home tubs, log and pints and out of home experiences such as scooping non portioned and mono portions) and Impulse which includes global and local stick, cup, cone formats under Kids, Snacking, Cone and premium ranges.

• In this role you will be the R&D first point of contact on an area of the region, and you will lead projects in close partnership across functions (Marketing; Supply Chain; Procurement) as well as key (external) partners and suppliers (e.g. 3PM, Flavor and Ingredients suppliers).
• You will manage a portfolio of projects across innovation, quality, complexity and cost reduction and fully embrace relevant flavor, nutrition and sustainability trends. You will bring your passion for ice cream, and enthusiasm to know consumer and customer needs and trends and use this to shape and deliver brilliant, sustainable, product experiences.
• This role presents an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about new product development to play a key role in supporting the Regional R&D team through identifying opportunities to better meet consumer needs and drive profitable growth for Ice Cream business. 
• If you have the vision and creativity to shape impactful research, the ability to translate insights into opportunities for new products and compelling claims, coupled with a strong bias for action – this is a role for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Technical Management and product development of Ice Cream innovation projects to deliver ambitious Growth Agenda with highest delivered quality, OTIF against all project brief requirements by demonstrating management skills as Technical Project Leader,
• Maintain effective and timely communication of project status with regional/ global partners.
• Assessment of new technologies and technical opportunities with latest developments in the relevant area.
• Follow and understand trends on market regarding new product and technologies
• Partnering with Marketing and SC to establish Technology and Innovation for relevant portfolio,
• Leading the regional R&D activities related to the cost-effective implementation of Innovation, Renovation, Line Extension and/or Cost Optimizations projects under this position area of responsibility, in line with business, consumer needs and regulations.
• Responsible for integrity of specifications and formulations in specification management system.  Provision of specification for every product in market and ensure that all new, or rejuvenated products have & match agreed specs.
• Generates ideas by investigating new and alternative materials, processes, equipment. Follow and understand trends in market regarding new products and technologies.
• Ensures effective interface with Ice Cream factories in driving implementation of new products and processes,
• Manage supplier relationships working closely with other functions such as Procurement.
• In close co-ordination with the Processing and supply chain teams, develop manufacturing processes to scale the product manufacture from lab to pilot to main plant.
• Plan, coordinate & execute lab, and pilot plant work. Delivering data management tasks to the team for recipe and artwork label creation.
• Organize and manage industrial trials and all technical risk assessment studies in projects for all sourcing units including 3PM.
• Support the creation of innovation and renovation selling stories.
• Ensure the compliance of the work to the Company Code of Business Principles and all SHEQA policies, including the support of product claims, risk management as well as Capture all regional CTI needs to guarantee they are reflected in global projects.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

• Regional Marketing Team
• Supply Chain (factories, planning, quality, etc.) and Procurement Teams
• R&D team across globe
• Supplier/partner organizations
• Technical R&D specialists (CTI, Processing, Packaging, Formulation, Nutritionist, Digital & Data)
• Business Partners (Finance, CMI, Quality, SEAC, Patents and Regulatory)

SKILL/EXPERIENCE:

• University degree in Food Engineering and/or Chemical Engineering
• Experience in R&D and project management is preffered
• Fluent in English
• Very good knowledge of MS Office
• Preferably no military obligation for male candidates
• Must have very good communication skills and strong commitment to work closely with the teams
• Ability to effectively co-operate within multi-disciplinary teams on local and regional
• Working knowledge of Food Legislation, Quality Assurance, issues management/crisis preparedness
• Knowledge of product design processes and principles
• Knowledge of food manufacturing process & environments
• Excellent communication and project management skills
• Understanding claims and risk management
• Passion for creative food product design and development
• Attention to detail especially in experimentation, data recording and analysis.

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS:

• Personal Mastery
• Agility
• Passion for performance
• Consumer love
• Talent catalyst

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:

• A unique mix of global scale & start-up spirit—€8.3bn powerhouse with an agile, entrepreneurial mindset. We’re building a new high growth Ice Cream company from the ground up. ​
• Career without limits—42 markets, international opportunities, and fast tracked growth. ​
• A performance-driven culture—Freedom to act, disrupt and grow – your success is measured by impact.​
• A company that celebrates joy, innovation, and purpose—We create extraordinary careers, just like our ice cream creates extraordinary moments.

As publicly announced, Unilever will separate its Ice Cream business which is expected by the end of 2025. This role will transfer to the new Ice Cream company.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position

ARE YOU EXCITED TO CRAFT THE ICE CREAM FUTURE?

To apply, you must do so online. Please do not forget to upload your CV and a motivation letter.  

Your application will be reviewed against our requirements, and we will be in touch shortly after the closing date to provide you with an update on the status of your application.

Disclaimer

Equal Opportunity Employer: Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

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.