Director Nutrition & Scientific Affairs (EMEA)

Short Intro and About the Job

 

At Danone we are committed to our mission of “bringing health, through food to as many people as possible”.  

Beyond this we are working together to make sure that our brands offer benefits for people, communities and the planet. If you join Danone, you will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good

 

To successfully deliver against our mission and commitments, we are science driven and truly consumer centric, as nutrition & health  is shaping our innovation and portfolio choices. Made possible by a number of experts in the business including our partners in Research & Innovation (R&I), who bridge the gap between science and food.

 

This role is part of the Medical & Nutritional Science (M&NS) department, a global science-driven organization at the forefront of health and nutrition innovation, driving value creation and growth opportunities for Danone. To further strengthen our ambition within the EMEA region, we are looking for a senior leader who can drive the regional Nutrition & Scientific Affairs (NSA) agenda, connecting global scientific excellence with local market impact

 

 Core Objectives

• Contribute and implement Nutrition & Scientific Affair strategy for EMEA.
• Activate global science and evidence into region-wide strategic direction, ensuring coherent, high-impact execution that shapes category performance and competitive advantage.

 Main Responsibilities

 

Strategy & Governance

• Contribute to the development and lead the execution of the EMEA NSA plan, ensuring alignment with global scientific pillars and Zone priorities.

Science Activation

• Translate global science into regionally relevant Nutrition & Scientific Affair  playbooks , including evidence-based narratives, claims guidance, scientific guardrails, and activation toolkits.
• Provide key strategic insights to shape Danone science agenda , leverage  external relationship with KOL, Influencers etc

External Scientific Engagement & Advocacy

• Represent EMEA NSA externally, engaging with health care professionals , KOLs, scientific societies, and expert communities to ensure credible and consistent scientific communication.

Cross-Functional Integration & Portfolio

• Collaborate with the R&I VP EMEA and topline teams to ensure NSA input is integrated throughout relevant Innovation phases.
• Own the Health Danone Impact Journey delivery within the region, making sure the different stakeholders contribute in the delivery of the corporate health KPI. leverage the Danone health credential in internal and external relationships 

People Leadership & Operating Model

• Lead and develop the NSA Zone team (25 FTE), providing direction, coaching, and growth for scientific talent.

 

 

About You

We are looking for a proven leader in Nutrition & Scientific Affairs with experience gained in a comparably complex and multi layered, stakeholder led organisation such as Danone

 

Leadership & Behaviours 

• Strategic thinking and the ability to translate vision into action.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate credibly at zone level.
• Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and change.
• Builds inclusive, empowered teams; develops talent; drives collaboration and accountability

 Innovation Skills & Competencies

• Understanding of the nutrition industry, ideally the EDP-based category.
• Capacity to interpret scientific research to serve FMCG products.
• Track record of engaging with external stakeholders to support business objectives.

Education & Experience

• Education: Master in Health, Nutrition or Food Science (or comparable study).
• Progressive experience in the FMCG Foods business.
• Proven ability to engage senior business stakeholders, advocate for R&I, and influence strategic discussions.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across matrixed environments and collaborate with global teams.

 

About Us, We offer and What's next

 We are proud to promote diversity and equal opportunities within our teams. We believe that our differences make a difference and that an inclusive working environment will stimulate our growth as a company, as teams and as individuals. We will therefore consider all applications*, promoting an inclusive working culture where everyone can feel they belong. 

We have also decided to remove inclusive writing from our job offers because its complexity penalises people with cognitive disabilities, such as dyslexia, dysphasia or apraxia. 

*All applications will be considered regardless of origin, background, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability... 

 

One Planet, One Health - BY YOU! 

Our four ‘HOPE’ values: HUMANISM, OPENNESS, PROXIMITY and ENTHUSIASM serve as our compass. 

 

Every day, you will make decisions that have an impact on our economic and social performance, as well as on our ability to achieve our ambitions. At Danone, you can simply be yourself. We believe it's up to YOU to define the way you work, develop and grow. With us, you'll work in a challenging, authentic and caring environment.