Protein Production Manager (m/f/d)

We are looking to recruit a Protein Production Manager (m/f/d) to take a pioneering role fueling KWS' ambitions in plant-based food ingredients. The position will be an integral part of our KWS Food Ingredients team. It will be filled on a full-time and permanent basis at our headquarters in Germany/Einbeck (KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA).

Your challenge:

• You will identify and evaluate potential service provider/partner for KWS to extract protein from pilot and large-scale grain volumes (esp. peas) for different protein types and applications.
• You will organize and manage protein extraction from protein crops (esp. peas) through service provider/partner to serve product development projects and commercial activities, including establishing and testing scale-up consistency.
• You will support the development of industry-mimicking lab-scale protein extraction processes.
• You will be responsible for (off-season) production of protein crops on fields and in protected growing facilities, including production planning, selecting and managing contract growers, and coordinating sampling, harvest and logistics.
• You will align crop production activities with our internal plant breeding and seed production teams and provide input to protein extraction capacity and volume planning.
• You will assure and where required establish professional inventory management from seed to protein.
• You will continuously strive to and look for new approaches to improve cost efficiency and protein quality parameter.
• You embrace the opportunity to be an influential member of a new initiative in the dynamic and fast-moving plant-based food ingredients trend.

Your profile:

• Bsc, MSc or equivalent education in food engineering, food processing technology, process engineering or adjacent sciences
• Professional experience in and/or network to protein crop processing and protein extraction industry
• Experience in agricultural crop production on field and in controlled environments preferred (especially peas)
• Hands-on attitude, pro-actively tackling challenges and finding solutions
• Innovative and out-of-the-box mindset
• Excellent networking skills and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams
• Business fluent German and English language skills
• Driving license mandatory (Class B)
• High willingness to travel.

To make yourself grow with us… What can we offer to help you grow?

• As a family-run company we are guided by the values of closeness, reliability, foresight and independence - this culture is lived in practice creating thus an open and friendly working atmosphere.
• True to our motto Make yourself grow, we support employees’ professional and personal development.
• We offer excellent work equipment (e.g. the newest laboratory equipment), a fully-fledged, subsidized canteen and sufficient free parking spaces at the KWS location.
• We offer capital formation benefits, Christmas and holiday bonuses, childcare allowance and a job bike.

Did we spark your interest? We welcome online applications via our Tool SuccessFactors.