Junior Technical Support & Development Manager Cocoa - EMENA

Date: 22 Jul 2025

Country: Netherlands

Function: Sales

Sub-Function: Sales Logistics Support&Customer Service

ofi is a global leader at the forefront of food & beverage consumer trends. Through its complementary portfolio of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices ofi delivers sustainable, natural, and plant-based ingredients & solutions to its global and diversified customer base. ofi has 20,000+ employees, is in 51 countries and supplies food and raw materials to over 8,000 customers.

One in five chocolate bars produced anywhere in the world use our cocoa beans and products. We supply enough coffee beans to brew over 90 billion cups of coffee and our nuts, spices and dairy products are used in millions of products around the world. But we don’t just source or grow the raw materials for these products: our team of chefs and food scientists are working closely with our customers, sharing our fresh ideas to inspire new concepts. Making it real at every step, from plant to palate.

We’re also driven by our Purpose – ‘Be the change for good food and a healthy future’. By working with ofi, you’ll be helping to create real impact on the ground. Sustainability is built into our business model - from our offices to our farming operations and supply chains, we’re acting across issues as diverse as farmer poverty, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Role

The Technical Support & Development Cocoa - EMENA is responsible for driving the growth of the cocoa business through delivering best in class technical customer support, relationship management, product approvals, fostering innovation & co-development.
You will be responsible for the EMENA region and be based in Amsterdam.

The Responsibilities

Reporting to the Customer Technical Manager Cocoa – EMENA, the main duties of this role will include:

Regional Technical Leadership: Serve as the primary technical contact for cocoa customers across the EMENA region, building strong, trust-based relationships.
Opportunity Pipeline Ownership: Proactively identify, manage, and drive technical opportunities within your assigned region or sub-region, in close collaboration with commercial teams.
Technical Account Management: Act as the Technical Account Manager for a portfolio of key customers, ensuring their technical needs are met and exceeded.
Customer Co-Development: Lead and support co-creation projects with customers, from ideation through to product implementation.
Product Support & Approvals: Guide customers through product trials, approvals, and application optimization, ensuring successful integration of cocoa products.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Sales, R&D, and Marketing to align technical support with business goals and customer strategies.
Market & Trend Monitoring: Stay informed on industry trends, customer feedback, and competitor activity to drive both internal and customer innovation and technical strategy.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess the following:

Educational Background: MSc in Food Technology, Food Chemistry, or a related technical field. An MBA or equivalent commercial education is a strong advantage.
Industry Experience: 1-5 years of experience in technical sales or account management within the B2B food industry.
Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of ingredient functionality, particularly in cocoa and food systems. Demonstrated ability to translate technical concepts into solution-driven innovations.
Customer Engagement: Skilled in developing and maintaining professional relationships with customers, including delivering impactful presentations at all organizational levels.
Project Leadership: Strong project management and leadership skills, with the ability to translate strategic growth goals into actionable plans and measurable KPIs.
Product Development Insight: Comprehensive knowledge of the product development lifecycle—from customer inspiration to commercialization—including analytical methods, sensory science, and quality assurance.
Entrepreneurial Mindset: A proactive, agile, and creative thinker with a “can-do” attitude and the ability to inspire and energize cross-functional teams.
Passion: Genuine enthusiasm for food, food ingredients and specifically cocoa ingredients and the ability to share and convey that passion.
Language Skills: Fluent in English (spoken and written); proficiency in at least one additional regionally (EMENA) relevant language is preferred.
Mobility: Willingness to travel up to 40% across the EMENA region to support customer engagements and project execution

What We Offer

High responsibility and working in a very hands-on, entrepreneurial, open and informal organization.
A position in one of the fastest growing and most sustainable companies in the food ingredient sector.
An empowering and supportive management.
Competitive salary + variable bonus.
Pension scheme.
Supportive, ambitious, and thriving team.

ofi is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, nationality, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants are requested to complete all required steps in the application process including providing a resume/CV in order to be considered for open roles