Customer Innovation Manager – Dairy, Savoury, Plant-Based Foods & Foodservice (UK & Ireland)
Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe.
We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.
Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™.
AAK LOCATION
This position is based at our site on King George Dock, Hull.
We would require you to be on-site at least 1 day per week and travel across the UK and Ireland would be required.
About the role
We are looking for a Customer Innovation Manager to drive customer co-development, technical support, and innovation project execution across Dairy, Savoury, Plant-Based Foods, and Foodservice applications in the UK & Ireland.
This role combines strong customer-facing technical expertise with commercial understanding, translating customer and market needs into scalable solutions and business opportunities. Working closely with Sales, Commercial Product Management, Marketing, and regional application teams, you will play a key role in strengthening AAK’s position as a trusted innovation and performance partner.
As a technical expert and customer collaborator, you will lead innovation projects from concept through to commercialisation, support customers with technical challenges, and help develop value-adding solutions that deliver commercial success for both AAK and our customers.
Responsibilities
Customer & Innovation Partnership
- Lead customer co-development projects from concept to commercialization across Dairy, Savoury, Plant-Based Foods, and Foodservice applications.
- Build strong technical relationships with customers, distributors, and strategic partners.
- Translate customer challenges and market opportunities into commercially viable and technically robust solutions.
- Support customer trials, industrial validations, shelf-life studies, and troubleshooting activities.
- Position AAK as a strategic innovation and performance partner rather than solely a supplier of fats and oils.
Technical & Application Expertise
- Provide technical expertise in fats and oils functionality, emulsions, texture, process tolerance, and application performance.
- Support product development and customer innovation projects across; dairy and dairy alternatives, savoury and culinary applications, plant-based Meat and plant-based Dairy, convenience foods and frying & cooking solutions
- Apply strong knowledge of ingredient functionality and industrial food processing to solve customer challenges and optimize product performance.
Commercial & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Sales, Commercial Product Management, Marketing, and regional application teams to accelerate opportunity conversion and customer growth.
- Contribute to pipeline development, project prioritisation, and strategic account planning.
- Ensure effective communication and alignment across functions, business units, and regions.
- Support customer presentations, technical workshops, and value proposition development activities.
About you
- You hold a degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline.
- You have strong experience in customer-facing food application, technical service, or product development roles.
- You have experience working within Dairy, Savoury, Plant-Based Foods, and/or Foodservice categories.
- You possess a strong understanding of industrial food processing and ingredient functionality.
- You have a commercial mindset and can translate technical concepts into compelling customer value propositions.
- You are an excellent communicator with strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- You are comfortable managing multiple projects and customer priorities within an international business environment.
- You are proactive, collaborative, and passionate about innovation and customer partnership.
In return AAK offers
- In AAK you can work across 25+ countries, gaining international exposure and collaborating with a diverse team.
- AAK invests in your development with training, mentorship, and clear career paths.
- You will contribute to a greener world with AAK's sustainability-focused approach.
- Join a diverse and inclusive workplace that values every individual's perspective and talents.
Contact and information
For further information about the position, please contact Emily Lumb, Talent Acquisition Specialist: [email protected]
About AAK
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission to, or treatment of individuals in its programs and activities, or employment and application for employment.
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