Team Manager, Applied R&D Cheese, Novonesis
Novonesis
Are you passionate about leadership, innovation, strategy and helping shape the future of the global cheese industry? Join the Applied R&D Cheese, phages and dairy ingredients department at Novonesis, where we develop innovative cultures and enzyme solutions that help our customers produce high-quality cheese products worldwide.
As Team Manager, you will lead a team of experienced scientists supporting cheese innovation, new product development, and customer success across multiple cheese segments. Together, we are building a global cheese expertise organization with strong customer intimacy, combining scientific excellence with practical application and outstanding stakeholder collaboration. Our department consists of approximately 60 dedicated colleagues, including managers, scientists, laboratory technicians, and cheese makers, working in an open, collaborative, and knowledge-sharing environment.
The Role & Your Impact
This is a people leadership role with a strong focus on strategy reflection, execution, optimization, and collaboration across R&D, Sales, Marketing, and Business stakeholders. You will ensure successful delivery of both innovation projects and customer support activities while developing a high-performing team of cheese scientists.
In this role, you will:
- Lead and develop a team of 8-10 experienced scientists involved in Applied R&D Cheese team in Denmark.
- Be an active member of the Leader Team of Global Applied RD Cheese, phages and dairy ingredients.
- Advance and expand our BioSolutions culture toolbox, complemented by a strengthened next-generation enzyme portfolio, to anticipate emerging cheese making process trends and deliver innovative solutions that address both current and future customer needs.
- Ensure delivery of annual objectives and strategic priorities for the team.
- Anticipate resource and capability needs to support innovation projects and customer activities.
- Collaborate closely with project managers, business groups, regional marketing and business managers, and other stakeholders to prioritize and execute activities.
- Drive timely execution of New Product Development projects and customer support activities, escalating bottlenecks and mitigating resource constraints when needed.
- Coordinate incoming customer requests for cheese applications in Denmark and for innovation days.
- Guide your team to support our growth and to create innovation opportunities.
- Be involve and represent our Applied R&D Cheese, phages and dairy ingredients team with strategic customer accounts.
- Build strong stakeholder relationships and contribute to strengthening Novonesis' global cheese expertise.
- Coach, develop, and empower team members to reach their full potential and advance their professional capabilities.
To succeed in this role, we expect that you have:
- An educational background in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline.
- At least 3 years of people management experience.
- Experience working within enzymes, cultures, food applications, or related industries.
- Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
- Professional proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
- Experience balancing multiple priorities.
- People leadership and talent development.
- Customer orientation and business understanding.
- Strong communication and feedback capabilities.
- Structured problem-solving and decision-making.
- Ability to work effectively across different cultures and professional backgrounds.
While not required, the following would be an advantage:
- Scientific and technical knowledge of cheese manufacturing processes and applications.
- Scientific and technical knowledge on enzymes and micro-organisms.
- Experience supporting customers directly in technical troubleshooting and implementation activities.
- Experience managing activities across global or regional organizations.
- Familiarity with innovation and new product development environments.
- Passion for developing technical experts and building strong team cultures.
You will join a team of around 60 highly skilled and engaged colleagues, including managers, scientists, laboratory technicians, and cheese makers. You will be a member of the Leader Team of Global Applied RD Cheese, phages and dairy ingredients. We foster an open and informal environment where knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual support are part of everyday life. As Manager, you will have the opportunity to shape the development of a talented team of scientists while contributing to innovative solutions for the global cheese industry. You will work closely with colleagues across R&D, Sales, Marketing, and Business Groups, giving you broad exposure and the possibility to make a visible impact on both customer success and product innovation.
Ways of Working
This is a people leadership role based in a modern office and R&D environment, with close collaboration across functions and regions. The position combines team management, project execution, stakeholder engagement, and customer interaction. While teamwork is essential to success, you will also have the freedom and responsibility to drive initiatives independently and make decisions within your area of expertise. The role includes occasional international travel, typically 3 to 4 trips per year of 2 to 4 days' duration
Relevant Information
Application deadline: 28 October 2026
Contact: Head of Applied Research Cheese DK, Sebastien Roustel – [email protected]
Location: Hørsholm, Denmark
Our purpose guides the way
In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we've gotten so far. And it’s how we'll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless. If our purpose resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.
Opportunities for everyone
We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.
We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.
Explore Other Openings
If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at novonesis.com/Career