Industrialization & Process Specialist - GumBase

We are the second largest producers of sweets and chewing gum in the world and leaders in the Italian market. Our brands such as Vigorsol, Daygum Vivident, Big Babol, Brooklyn, Golia, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, Mentos, Goleador are in the hearts, homes and pockets of millions of consumers of every generation. We at Perfetti Van Melle put a lot of passion, competence and spirit of innovation into making them increasingly current, attractive and responsive to the needs of our consumers.

Our purpose “Innovative Treats. Better Future” puts innovation at the center of our strategy in everything we do, with a great sense of responsibility to guarantee a better future for our people, our consumers and our planet.

Our team is expanding and we are looking for a new

Industrialization & Process Specialist!

Main Purpose of the Role For our GumBase production plant, we are looking for a new colleague who will join our R&D team.

The Industrialization & Process Specialist leads key industrialization and process projects for gum base technologies, supporting scale‑up, process optimization, and manufacturing implementation across global sites.

The role acts as a critical link between R&D, Engineering and Operations to ensure robust, efficient, and scalable processes while supporting innovation, quality, and business continuity.

What you will do

Lead scale‑up of new gum base formulations and ingredients from lab/pilot scale to full industrial production;

Define, validate and optimize process parameters;

Support plant trials, ramp‑up phases, troubleshooting, and process stabilization;

Drive improvements in process robustness, efficiency, quality, and cost;

Support process simplification, new equipment integration, and standardization;

Act as technical interface between Research & Development, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and suppliers;

Support manufacturing sites on trials, deviation management, and continuous improvement initiatives;

Share best practices and technical learnings across global gum base units;

Own industrialization workstreams within complex projects, including risk management, timelines, and reporting;

Ensure accurate technical documentation and compliance with internal standards and procedures;

Support master data readiness, system alignment, and Bill of Materials (BOM) accuracy.

Our Perfect Candidate

Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Materials Science, or related field;

5 years in industrialization, process engineering, or manufacturing support, experience in food or pharmaceutical related industries is preferred;

Proven experience scaling processes from lab to industrial scale;

Hands‑on experience with plant trials and process validation;

Experience working within global, matrix organizations;

Strong knowledge of process engineering and material behavior;

Structured, pragmatic, and solution‑oriented mindset;

Solid project management and prioritization skills;

Clear communicator with strong ownership and accountability;

Readiness in mobility across global sites.

The position offers a gross annual salary between 45,000€ and 50,000€. Additional compensation and company benefits may also apply and will be discussed and defined during the selection process and on an individual basis.

We offer

A dynamic, hybrid working environment within our Center of Excellence;

The chance to make a tangible impact on global supply planning processes;

Opportunities for professional growth and cross-functional collaboration;

A culture that values innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

At Perfetti Van Melle, we believe the strength of our team lies in diversity. We create a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected, and empowered to grow.

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