Cargill — one of the world’s largest and most respected private food and agricultural companies — is hiring a technically expert and commercially astute Senior R&D Specialist (Dairy & Dairy Alternatives) for its Food Enterprise division in Dubai, UAE. This senior R&D role serves as the lead technical contact for Cargill’s dairy and dairy alternatives customers across the region — covering NPD pipeline creation and execution, customer technical support, voice of customer translation, cross-functional collaboration, and industry trend leadership. Fluency in both Arabic and English is mandatory. UAE work permit required — no relocation support offered. Job ID: 332601.
Cargill — Nourishing the World · Global Food & Agriculture · One of the World’s Largest Private Companies
Cargill is a family company committed to providing food and agricultural solutions in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Its Food Enterprise serves food manufacturers, food service customers, and retailers with innovative ingredients and branded products — spanning an extraordinary portfolio of food categories across global markets, with deep presence across the Middle East and Gulf region.
Cargill Food Enterprise Product Portfolio
MANDATORY LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT: Fluent Arabic AND English — Both Languages Required for This Dubai R&D Role
🇦🇪 UAE WORK PERMIT: Only applicants with the correct permit to live and work in the UAE will be considered — No relocation support is offered
About the Role — Senior R&D Specialist Dairy & Alternatives, Cargill Dubai UAE
Division: Cargill Food Enterprise — Innovation & R&D, Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Location: Dubai, UAE — office-based, Monday to Friday, with travel to customers across the region
Role Focus: Lead technical contact for dairy and dairy alternative customers · NPD pipeline owner · Customer voice translation · Cross-functional coordination
Reports To: Senior Director R&D
Languages: Arabic (fluent — required) · English (fluent — required)
Why This R&D Dairy Role at Cargill Dubai Stands Out
Global Industry Leader: Cargill is one of the largest and most respected private companies in the world — joining Cargill’s R&D team in Dubai means working at the cutting edge of food ingredient innovation for one of the most influential food companies globally
Dairy Alternatives Momentum: Dairy alternatives is one of the fastest-growing and most commercially dynamic food categories in the Middle East — this role sits at the centre of that growth, creating NPD pipelines that will define how the region’s food industry evolves
Bilingual Senior Role: The combination of deep dairy R&D expertise and fluent Arabic-English communication is one of the most sought-after skill sets in the UAE food industry — making this a rare and career-defining opportunity
Commercial + Technical Bridge: This role bridges business strategy with technical delivery — translating customer needs into product wins and feeding market insights back into Cargill’s global R&D priorities — a senior influencing position with real organizational impact
Position Overview
The Senior R&D Specialist — Dairy and Dairy Alternatives at Cargill Dubai is a senior technical and commercially connected R&D role serving as the primary technical contact for Cargill’s dairy and dairy alternatives customers across the region. You will provide specialized technical advice and support to food manufacturers throughout the product development and sales cycle; lead the creation and execution of healthy NPD pipelines; translate the voice of the customer into internal R&D and commercial priorities; collaborate across R&D, Manufacturing, Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory, Marketing, and Sales to select and progress the right projects; stay ahead of industry trends and competitive dynamics; and organize, present, and defend technical project data to both internal stakeholders and prospective customers — all while driving measurable business results for Cargill and its strategic customers in the region.
Why This Role Matters: As Senior R&D Specialist for Dairy and Dairy Alternatives at Cargill Dubai, your NPD pipelines, your customer technical support, and your ability to translate what dairy manufacturers and food service operators need into winning Cargill ingredient solutions directly determines how successfully Cargill grows its dairy business in the Middle East — one of the most strategically important and fastest-growing food markets in the world. Your work shapes what goes into yogurts, cheeses, plant-based milks, and dairy alternative products consumed by millions of consumers across the region.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Technical Leadership — Dairy & Dairy Alternatives
- Serve as the lead technical contact for customers in the food industry — with a primary focus on dairy and dairy alternatives — providing expert technical advice, application support, and ingredient recommendations before, during, and after product sales to food manufacturers and food service operators across the UAE and region
- Collaborate with Cargill’s internal R&D, Manufacturing, and technical consultant teams to deliver comprehensive, technically grounded support for both existing customers and prospective new accounts in the dairy and dairy alternatives segment
- Organize project data, technical findings, and conclusions for clear, compelling presentations to both internal stakeholders and prospective customers — assisting with product demonstrations and serving as the subject matter expert in customer-facing technical meetings
NPD Pipeline Creation & Execution
- Own the creation and execution of a healthy, commercially viable NPD (New Product Development) pipeline for dairy and dairy alternatives — identifying product opportunities, scoping development projects, and driving them from concept through technical validation and commercial launch in collaboration with relevant internal teams
- Collaborate with Product Line Leadership, Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory, Marketing, and Sales teams to select the right NPD projects at the right time — ensuring project selection is aligned with commercial priorities, customer needs, regulatory requirements, and Cargill’s strategic growth objectives in the dairy and dairy alternatives category
- Drive timely project execution — managing NPD timelines, tracking project milestones, resolving technical and commercial roadblocks, and ensuring projects reach the customer in a commercially relevant window that supports sales team objectives
Voice of the Customer Translation
- Translate the voice of the customer accurately and effectively into internal R&D and commercial priorities — converting customer technical requirements, unmet needs, and feedback from market interactions into clearly articulated innovation opportunities that Cargill’s product and R&D teams can act on
- Influence and drive win-win solutions for both Cargill and its strategic customers — navigating the balance between what customers need, what is technically achievable, and what creates commercial value for Cargill — and advocating effectively for outcomes that satisfy all three
Industry Trend Monitoring & Technical Intelligence
- Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and the competitive landscape in dairy and dairy alternatives — through active participation in workshops, professional associations, trade shows, industry research, and technical literature — translating this intelligence into product insights that improve Cargill’s offerings and competitive positioning
- Bridge business intent to technical strategies and back to business results — ensuring that Cargill’s technical capabilities in dairy are continuously aligned with where the market is heading and where the most strategically valuable customer opportunities exist
Qualifications & Requirements
MANDATORY — Non-Negotiable Requirements
- Experience and know-how in Dairy and Dairy Alternatives is an absolute requirement — applications without direct dairy R&D or dairy applications experience will not be considered under any circumstances
- Fluency in both Arabic and English is mandatory — bilingual communication in both languages is essential for daily interaction with customers, internal teams, and stakeholders across the UAE, GCC, and MENA region
- UAE work permit — only candidates who currently hold the correct permit to live and work in the UAE will be considered; no relocation support is available
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Engineering, Food Science, Food Technology, Food Nutrition, Biotechnology, or Chemical Engineering — with a clear focus on dairy science, dairy technology, or dairy alternative product development
Experience Requirements
- Proven, hands-on R&D experience specifically in Dairy and/or Dairy Alternatives — including product formulation, ingredient application, customer technical support, and NPD project management in a food manufacturing or food ingredients company
- Demonstrated ability to work commercially as well as technically — able to understand customer business challenges, translate them into R&D priorities, and communicate technical solutions credibly to both technical and non-technical audiences in Arabic and English
About Cargill — Nourishing the World Responsibly
Cargill is a family company and one of the world’s largest and most respected private enterprises — committed to providing food and agricultural solutions that nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the global food supply chain, Cargill partners with producers and customers across the globe to source, make, and deliver products that are vital for living. Cargill’s Food Enterprise serves food manufacturers, food service customers, and retailers across the Middle East and globally with an extraordinary portfolio of innovative ingredients and branded products — from dairy and dairy alternatives through oils, sweeteners, starches, cocoa, and chocolate. Joining Cargill in Dubai means joining an organization with the scale, resources, and commitment to professional development to support a genuinely outstanding career in food science and R&D.
Career Outlook: Senior R&D Specialists at Cargill in the UAE have a well-defined progression path toward R&D Manager, Technical Director, Regional R&D Lead, and Senior Director R&D roles — all strategically important, well-compensated positions within one of the world’s most influential and financially robust food companies, with genuine opportunities for regional and global career mobility.
Who Should Apply?
- Dairy R&D Specialists (Arabic-English Bilingual): With direct experience in dairy or dairy alternatives product development, formulation, or technical sales support — fluent in both Arabic and English with a current UAE work permit and strong NPD track record
- Food Science / Food Technology Professionals: With a Master’s or Bachelor’s in Food Science or Food Engineering and demonstrable hands-on dairy R&D experience in the UAE, GCC, or MENA food industry — ready to step into a senior technical leadership role at one of the world’s largest food companies
- Dairy Applications / Technical Sales Specialists: With customer-facing technical experience in dairy ingredient applications — bridging food science expertise with commercial customer support, NPD pipeline management, and cross-functional collaboration in a food ingredient or FMCG environment
- Dairy Alternatives R&D Innovators: With specialist knowledge of plant-based dairy alternatives, dairy-free formulation, or alternative protein applications in the Middle East food market — eager to lead NPD in one of the fastest-growing and most commercially exciting food categories in the UAE
- Bilingual Food Scientists in UAE: Currently UAE-based, fluent in Arabic and English, with relevant Dairy R&D expertise — seeking a senior, high-impact, career-defining role at one of the world’s most respected and globally significant food companies
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