vacatures in Gorinchem

Head of Application and Solutions Development

Job Category: Research and Development

Work Location: Hybrid

Office Location:

Gorinchem, NL

Job Type: Full Time

Job ID: 5846

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

Innovation is how we build a more sustainable future. Guided by our purpose-to preserve what matters-and driven by our BRIGHT 2030 Strategy , we are accelerating our leadership in clean-label preservation, sustainable ingredient solutions, and advanced biotechnology.

As Head of Global Applications & Solutions Development, you will play a pivotal role in converting Corbion's scientific excellence into differentiated customer value. This is a senior, enterprise-wide leadership role, accountable for a global technical organization that brings our ingredient technologies to life across food and beverage applications worldwide. The position will be based at one of our two global innovation hubs in Gorinchem (The Netherlands) or Lenexa (Kansas) and reports to the Chief Technology Officer.

Your Role & Impact

You will lead and integrate four critical global capability pillars:

1. Global Applications - Unifying and elevating application teams across regions and categories

1. Sensory Science - Translating functional performance into compelling sensory experiences

1. Microbiology & Preservation - Advancing Corbion's leadership in natural preservation

1. Global Ingredient Technology - Building predictive, specification-driven ingredient capabilities

Together, these capabilities strengthen Corbion's customer relevance, accelerate innovation, and support sustainable growth.

What You Will Lead

Global Applications & Solutions Leadership

• Set the strategic and technical direction for Corbion's global applications organization

• Build high-performing global communities of practice and category leadership

• Identify unmet customer and market needs to fuel the innovation pipeline

• Balance near-term commercial delivery with long-term technology and capability development

• Attract, develop, and inspire world-class technical talent globally

• Act as the voice of the customer in innovation, portfolio, and commercial decision forums

Customer-Facing Technical Excellence

• Partner with senior R&D and product development leaders at key global customers

• Translate complex technical challenges into differentiated, value-creating solutions

• Support Sales and Business Development in strategic customer engagements and industry events

• Ensure a robust, technically credible new-business development pipeline

Application Innovation & Validation

• Lead the evaluation of Corbion solutions in real food and beverage matrices

• Drive the development of clear, compelling technical value propositions

• Co-create and steer global roadmaps for sensory science and microbiology capabilities

Global Ingredient Technology

• Establish predictive tools, functional specifications, and standardized testing methodologies

• Govern approval of new ingredients and evaluation of new suppliers

• Enable co-development and partnership opportunities with strategic external partners

Strategic Contribution

This role is a key enabler of Corbion's BRIGHT 2030 Strategy, accelerating clean-label preservation, strengthening technology-led customer engagement, and expanding our leadership in specialty ingredients.

What You Bring

• 15+ years of experience in the functional ingredient industry, with strong innovation and commercial exposure

• Background in FMCG food product development or R&D

• Proven success leading global technical, application, or solutions organizations

• Strong customer orientation with the ability to translate technical capability into commercial value

• Master's or PhD in Food Science, Chemistry, Food Technology, or a related discipline

• Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across functions and geographies

• An inclusive, courageous leadership style that fosters collaboration and innovation

Why Join Corbion

Corbion is a global leader in sustainable ingredient solutions, powered by nearly a century of fermentation expertise.

About Corbion

Corbion is a sustainable ingredients company dedicated to preserving what matters, including food and food production, health, and the planet.