R&D Director - Product Development

At Corbion, we exist to champion preservation in all its forms, preserving food and food production, health, and our planet.

Innovation drives our sustainable solutions for the future. To accelerate our strategic ambitions, we seek a visionary and results-driven Director, Product Development to lead our global Product Development organization within the Innovation & Solution Development (ISD) Center.

Role Overview

As our R&D Director, Product Development, you will shape the future of our product portfolio, translating the Bright 2030 strategy into impactful, sustainable solutions for customers worldwide. You will have freedom to define and implement new approaches, with a mandate to drive both incremental innovation and breakthrough product development.

You will work closely with business units across five key portfolios, with a particular focus on Preservation & Specialty Ingredients, Nutrition and biomedical polymers. You will be empowered to drive innovation for new products and solutions to ensure Corbion remains a leading company in sustainable food-ingredients for preservation and nutrition

Key Responsibilities

• Define, own, and execute the global product development roadmap, ensuring alignment with Corbion’s Bright 2030 strategy and business priorities.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a highly skilled, multidisciplinary product development team, including senior experts, and critically assess team structure and capabilities to optimize performance.
• Foster a culture of engagement, inclusivity, creativity, and accountability, earning respect through strong technical leadership and content expertise.
• Build and strengthen internal and external partnerships, including universities, industry associations, and technology networks, to accelerate innovation and capability development.
• Drive ideation and scouting for new molecules, products and applications, ensuring Corbion leads in innovation and creates new market opportunities.
• Oversee EHS and Quality performance, championing a strong culture of safety, compliance, and operational discipline.
• Collaborate closely with commercial and integrated supply chain teams to ensure successful product scale-up and market introduction.

• PhD in Chemistry or a related scientific discipline, with strong affinity for food, nutrition, and/or specialty ingredients.
• Minimum of 15 years’ experience in product development, including substantial leadership of complex, multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, trust-based relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders, including academic and industry networks.
• Leader and excellent communication and influencing skills, with a collaborative, strategic mindset.
• Proven capability to translate long-term strategy into executable roadmaps and tangible business impact.
• Experience in both incremental product innovation and breakthrough new molecule development is highly valued.
• Ability to operate in an international context; relocation support available for the right candidate.

Join a purpose-driven, global organization committed to sustainability, innovation, and positive impact. You will have the opportunity to shape a new strategic era, drive transformative innovation, and contribute directly to ambitious growth targets. We offer a dynamic, international work environment, professional growth opportunities, and the mandate to lead change at scale.

This position is based at our Global Innovation Center in Gorinchem, The Netherlands, with the possibility to work from home 1-2 days per week.