Manager - Customer Technical Service, India

Roquette is a family-owned global leader in plant-based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients.

Want to help us make a difference?
Using plant-based resources, we collaborate with our customers and partners to imagine and offer ingredients to better feed people and treat patients.
Each of our ingredients responds to unique and essential needs, and they enable healthier lifestyles.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Team Leader – Food Application Scientist to lead our India Application (CTS) Laboratory and drive technical innovation across Savory, Baking, Dairy, Beverage, Confectionery, and Plant-Based applications. This role combines strong people leadership with hands-on application development, customer engagement, and cross-functional collaboration to support business growth and innovation.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned food scientist with deep technical expertise, strong commercial acumen, and proven experience leading high-performing teams in an international food ingredients environment.

This position will be located in Mumbai.

Our Team
Drawing insights from customer interactions, our CTS team develops, formulates, and evaluates our customers' products in the labs.
As the markets we serve at Roquette are Global, the CTS teams are globally based to better serve our customers around 4 areas (Europe, Americas, Greater Asia & China).
The CTS team builds strong partnerships with our Global R&D, as well as our commercial and marketing teams, to enhance customer service and support.

Their mission?
To support the NBI’s business growth for Greater Asia region focusing on India with application work in the Dairy, Beverage and Confectionery Area. In addition to that, to support the technical development role India for local customers and channel partners.

Your experience and talents will make the difference to:

Team Leadership & Application Excellence

• Lead and develop the India Food Application (CTS) team, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture.

• Ensure timely and effective technical support for customer projects involving both new product development and existing ingredient portfolios.

• Prioritize application projects in partnership with Commercial and Marketing teams to support strategic business objectives.

• Coach and mentor team members, supporting their technical and professional development.

• Promote a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and scientific excellence.

Customer & Technical Support

• Provide expert application support to customers across Dairy, Beverage, Confectionery, Savory, Baking and Plant-Based Nutrition segments.

• Visit customers regularly to support product development, technical discussions, troubleshooting, training programs, and innovation workshops.

• Collaborate with channel partners on customer visits, product concepts, technical training, promotional campaigns, and business opportunity development.

• Deliver technical presentations, seminars, and application training for internal and external stakeholders.

• Together with Marketing team, coordinate, plan and execute promotional events like trade shows, customer seminars and webinars.

Product Development & Innovation

• Provide strategic technical leadership in identifying, evaluating, and translating new ingredient technologies into commercially viable food applications for the Indian market. Develop innovation roadmaps and recommend product development strategies based on market insights, customer needs, competitive analysis, and technical feasibility.

• Lead the development and evaluation of innovative food and beverage applications, including:

  • Savory – sauces, dressing, meat, non-meat

  • Baking – snacks, cereals, cakes etc

  • Dairy products

  • Plant-based alternatives

  • Specialized nutrition

  • Ready-to-drink beverages

  • Ready-to-mix powders

  • Yogurt

  • Paneer

  • Confectionery applications

• Design, execute, and evaluate laboratory and pilot-scale trials using a scientific approach.

• Conduct shelf-life studies, analytical testing, and performance evaluations of application prototypes.

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of laboratory activities, trial results, reports, and technical presentations while supporting innovation and intellectual property initiatives.

Laboratory Operations & Compliance

• Ensure laboratory operations comply with company safety, food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve laboratory SOPs, processes, and best practices.

• Maintain laboratory equipment and support efficient day-to-day laboratory operations.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance laboratory efficiency and effectiveness.

Collaboration & Global Connectivity

• Partner closely with Commercial, Marketing, Quality, R&D, and Global Food CTS teams to deliver customer-focused solutions.

• Collaborate with global CTS teams to share technical knowledge, best practices, and support cross-regional projects.

• Stay current with emerging technologies and market trends through participation in technical forums and industry events.

Additional Key Responsibilities – Laboratory Setup & Infrastructure Management

• Lead the planning, setup, expansion, and continuous enhancement of food application laboratories in line with business and innovation requirements.

• Define laboratory infrastructure requirements, including utilities, workflow design, food safety, hygiene, and operational efficiency.

• Evaluate, recommend, and procure laboratory and pilot-scale equipment based on application needs, technical specifications, budget, and long-term business objectives.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Procurement, EHS, and Quality teams during laboratory design, commissioning, equipment installation, qualification, and validation.

• Develop equipment qualification, calibration, preventive maintenance, and lifecycle management plans to ensure reliable laboratory operations.

• Ensure laboratory facilities comply with food safety, regulatory, and company standards while driving continuous improvement in laboratory capabilities.

What we will love about you:

• Strong business and commercial acumen with a customer-centric mindset.

• Deep understanding of the Indian food ingredients and food applications market.

• Excellent technical knowledge of Savory, Baking, Dairy and Beverage applications.

• Strong influencing, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills.

• Excellent analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

• Outstanding presentation, communication, and technical training skills.

• Proven leadership capability with experience mentoring, coaching, and developing technical teams.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a dynamic environment.

• Strong collaboration skills with experience working in multicultural and cross-functional teams.

• Passion for innovation and delivering customer-focused solutions.

And also …

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, or a related discipline.

• Minimum 20 years of experience in Food Application, Product Development, or Technical Service within the food ingredients industry.

• At least 10 years of hands-on experience in Savory, Baking Dairy and Beverage applications.

• Experience in Plant-Based Nutrition and Specialized Nutrition is highly desirable.

• Minimum 10 years of people management experience, leading technical or application teams.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects within a multinational or international organization.

• Demonstrated customer engagement, technical problem-solving, and innovation capabilities.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across cultures.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to lead a high-impact technical team, shape customer innovation, and contribute to the development of next-generation food solutions while collaborating with global experts in a dynamic international environment.

If you identify yourself in this position, please apply by uploading your resume and let's start the journey together!

Roquette is proud to be a global company where you can find personal and professional growth through multiple diverse experiences.

Roquette strives to create a dynamic workforce while remaining firmly committed to equal opportunity by complying with EEO laws.

As we continue to grow, Roquette understands that to be successful we must always be inclusive in our approach.

To find out more about our products, values and sustainable development ambitions visit us at www.roquette.com and at www.sustainability.roquette.com