Senior R&D Technologist - Proteins (Fixed Term Contract)

Senior R&D Technologist- Proteins 

Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny

12 Months Fixed Term Contract

Tirlán

Tirlán, is a world-class food and nutrition co-operative, with a diverse portfolio of quality ingredients, leading consumer and agri brands.

Tirlán owns leading brands such as Avonmore, Kilmeaden Cheese, Millac, Solmiko, Truly Grass Fed, Premier Milk, Wexford, mymilkman.ie and GAIN Animal Nutrition.

We nurture a talented team across Ireland, the US, MEA and China, delivering annual revenues of over €3 billion, and circa 2,000 people to manage our network of 11 processing plants and 52 agri branches. Our purpose is to nourish the world, while safeguarding our environment for future generations.

Role Profile

Reporting to the R&D Manager – Proteins, the Senior R&D Technologist will play a key role in delivering research, innovation and technical projects across Tirlán's dairy ingredients portfolio. This 12-month fixed-term role will focus on dairy chemistry, membrane filtration technologies and ingredient functionality, supporting the development and optimisation of dairy-based ingredients and solutions for global customers.

Working within the R&D team and collaborating closely with Operations, Quality, Commercial, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and external partners, the successful candidate will lead and support projects from concept through to commercial implementation. The role requires strong technical expertise, excellent organisational skills, effective communication and the ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple functions.

This position is ideal for an experienced dairy technologist with a passion for science-based innovation, process development and translating technical knowledge into commercial value.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support R&D projects focused on dairy ingredient innovation, process optimisation and customer-driven solutions.
• Apply dairy chemistry knowledge to understand and improve ingredient functionality, composition, stability and performance in end-use applications.
• Design, execute and interpret laboratory, pilot-scale and manufacturing trials to evaluate product and process improvements.
• Support the development and optimisation of membrane filtration processes, including ultrafiltration, microfiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis applications.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to troubleshoot process challenges and identify opportunities for yield, quality and efficiency improvements.
• Plan, organise, manage and document all laboratory, pilot and plant trials in accordance with R&D procedures and food safety requirements.
• Analyse and communicate trial results, drawing clear conclusions and recommendations for stakeholders.
• Progress projects through Tirlán's stage-gate / NPD process while ensuring timelines and deliverables are achieved.
• Work closely with commercial teams to provide technical support for customers and new business opportunities.
• Liaise with ingredient suppliers, equipment providers, research organisations and external partners to support project delivery.
• Support customer visits, technical presentations and application evaluations where required.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, industry trends and scientific developments within dairy processing and ingredient functionality.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and technical excellence across the R&D team.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree (Masters/ PhD advantageous) in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nutrition or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 3–5 years' relevant experience within dairy ingredients, food manufacturing, FMCG or a related technical environment.
• Strong understanding of dairy chemistry, milk composition, ingredient functionality and dairy processing technologies.
• Experience working with membrane filtration technologies such as ultrafiltration (UF), microfiltration (MF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) is highly desirable.
• Experience in product development, process development, technical project management or manufacturing support functions.
• Knowledge of pilot plant operations and factory trials would be advantageous.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present technical information clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams and build strong working relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability with a scientific and data-driven approach.
• High attention to detail and strong technical report-writing skills.
• Self-motivated, proactive and capable of working independently when required.
• Customer-focused mindset with an ability to understand and translate customer needs into technical solutions.
• Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

We offer

• Work/life balance and collaborative work culture

• Career progression opportunities

About us

Through our expertise in research and development, customer insights, food safety and state-of-the-art manufacturing we bring innovative food and nutrition solutions to a global market.  Our new and vibrant headquarters in Kilkenny City operates as a collaboration hub where multi-functional teams come together in a hybrid work environment.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We believe in the value of difference. We know that different perspectives, life experience and backgrounds can drive innovation and deliver growth.

We welcome people from all walks of life without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, or disability status. 

Join our Talent Pool

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Tirlán is a Values Based Organisation