The Role

This is a high-visibility executive leadership role at the heart of a Top-tier Domestic FMCG Powerhouse. Innovation is the primary engine of our aggressive growth strategy. As the Head of R&D, you will not merely be managing a laboratory; you will act as the Chief Innovation Architect for the entire conglomerate. Sitting at the intersection of food science, consumer insights, and commercial strategy, your mandate is to pioneer category-defining products across our massive portfolio—spanning culinary staples, convenience foods, beverages, and branded proteins. You will transform deep-rooted culinary heritage and macro-consumer trends into tangible, commercially viable products that reach millions of households daily.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Unmatched Scale & Impact: Your innovations will directly land on the shelves of the country's largest modern retail network and millions of traditional trade outlets, boasting a near-100% national household penetration rate.
• Hyper-Agile Commercialization: Unlike the sluggish, red-tape-heavy R&D cycles of traditional global MNCs, this organization operates with ruthless entrepreneurial speed. You will have the resources to pilot, iterate, and launch disruptive products at an unprecedented pace.
• Drive the Premiumization Agenda: Play a central role in elevating the domestic consumer experience. You will lead the charge in shifting the market from mass-market commodities to highly premium, health-conscious, and value-added consumer goods.
• Global Innovation Mandate: Directly support our massive "Go Global" strategy by formulating products that not only capture the authentic essence of domestic cuisine but also strictly comply with top-tier international standards (FDA, EFSA) for export to the US, EU, and North Asia.

What You’ll Do

• Architect the Innovation Pipeline: Design and execute a robust 3-to-5-year product innovation roadmap aligned with the corporate board's revenue and market-share targets. Focus on both disruptive "white-space" innovations and strategic renovations of billion-dollar flagship brands.
• Commercial R&D Leadership: Bridge the gap between the lab and the P&L. Partner seamlessly with Marketing, Consumer Insights, and Supply Chain to ensure every product is designed for manufacturability, cost-efficiency, and immediate market traction.
• Elevate Quality & Compliance: Fortify our product ecosystem by setting the highest standards for food safety, nutritional value, and clean-label formulations. Oversee regulatory affairs to ensure absolute compliance across both domestic and highly complex international markets.
• Build a World-Class Innovation Hub: Lead, mentor, and scale a massive team of food scientists, packaging engineers, and sensory experts. Foster a culture of relentless curiosity, agile experimentation, and data-driven formulation.
• Value Engineering & Sustainability: Drive continuous improvement across existing portfolios. Optimize formulations and pioneer sustainable packaging solutions that protect margins, combat raw material volatility, and align with corporate ESG commitments.

What We’re Looking For

• Technical & Executive Pedigree: 15+ years of progressive R&D leadership in the FMCG / Food & Beverage industry, backed by advanced degrees in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field.
• Proven Commercial Acumen: You are a business leader first, a scientist second. You have a definitive track record of launching blockbuster products that have captured significant market share and driven top-line revenue.
• Agility & Entrepreneurial Grit: The ability to thrive in a high-pressure, hyper-growth environment. You excel at navigating ambiguity and can execute complex product launches within aggressive timelines.
• Cross-Category Expertise: Deep technical knowledge spanning multiple food technologies—particularly in ambient culinary (sauces/seasonings), complex carbohydrates (noodles/convenience), beverages, or chilled/processed proteins.
• Strategic Influencer: High emotional intelligence with the ability to influence C-level stakeholders, challenge the commercial status quo, and rally cross-functional teams around a unified innovation vision.

Client Overview

This client is a behemoth of the Vietnamese private sector. Unlike multinational corporations operating in the country, this is a homegrown giant that has scaled aggressively through rapid organic growth and massive, high-profile mergers and acquisitions. They touch the lives of nearly every Vietnamese consumer daily, possessing deep, granular knowledge of local tastes and shopping habits. They are currently transitioning from a traditional FMCG manufacturer into an integrated, tech-enabled consumer ecosystem.