Chief Science and Technology Officer

Christeyns is one of Europe's prominent manufacturers of detergents, soaps and associated chemicals, with a turnover of €450 million and employing over 1600 people in over 40 countries. With an annual growth rate of around 15% over the past 20 years and a portfolio of enviable accounts, this family-owned company is on the verge of a breakthrough as a solid global group.

Key factors for this success are a choice for solid and value-added relations with our customers, a continuous investment in people, but above all an entrepreneurial and informal company culture, enabling new concepts, innovative ideas and customer-oriented specialties. Our chemicals find their way in the market of textile care, food hygiene, pharmaceutical industry…

Our permanent growth in the professional chemicals industry has led to a group with about 65 active professionals in our labs. They are involved in quality control and manufacturing support, but most of all in research, development and innovation. This way the R&D department has become one of the driving forces for our company's growth.

• You have a responsibility for all technological and chemical related matters through all our business units, textile care, life sciences, food hygiene and professional hygiene.
• You have a broad look on all business units, to manage the existing portfolio of formulations, to support improvement and optimisation projects and to support the launching of innovation projects. For every business unit you are monitoring closely the evolution towards a leaner and more optimal product portfolio.
• You are able to integrate our R&D operations into a broader company environment, starting from a business point of view to manufacturing, purchasing, regulatory affairs,… hereby assessing all effects of possible innovations.
• You support your senior managers in case of strategic business interventions, help them to develop the human capital within their department and develop a strategic view on making the R&D department future proof in terms of available tools, technology, training, staffing….
• You are the figurehead of the company on trade fairs, on scientific platforms, in the academic world, in professional organizations. You follow all scientific evolutions in industry and academic world to share it with the R&D managers and experts in your team.
• You are reporting directly to the Group COO, and you manage a team of 5 senior R&D Managers. They are each managing a team of between 10 and 20 people.

• An excellent academic background in a chemistry related area.
• You preferably have a PhD in chemistry, as a bioengineer, civil engineer, ...
• You have at least 15 years of experience in an industry where innovation is key, on an international level.
• You have at least a first line management experience of at least 10 years in managing a team of highly educated experts.
• Excellent command of English (speaking and writing) is required. Knowledge of Dutch is a strong asset.