Job Description

Interested in a career that matters?

Interested in a career that matters?

At Novonesis, we are committed to enabling innovative biosolutions that improve the health of our planet by reducing the use of energy, chemicals, and water while helping industries get more output from fewer resources. As part of our Planetary Health Biosolutions team, you will help customers navigate evolving consumer expectations, changing economics, and increasing regulatory demands.

We are looking for a Industry Technology Specialist, Oil and Fats to support our growth across the Middle East and Africa region. In this role, you will combine deep technical expertise with customer engagement to drive innovation, demonstrate value, and accelerate commercial success in vegetable oil processing, biodiesel, specialty fats, and oleochemical applications.

The role & your impact

As a key member of the Planetary Health Biosolutions team, you will lead technical service activities that help customers optimize processes, improve yields, and unlock the value of Novonesis biosolutions. You will work closely with customers, commercial teams, and application specialists to deliver technical excellence and support regional growth ambitions.

Your key responsibilities in this role include:

• Leading technical service activities across the Oils and Fats industry, including vegetable oil processing, biodiesel, specialty fats, and oleochemicals.
• Supporting product launch activities by establishing proof of concept with key customers across the Middle East and Africa region.
• Developing customer applications based on locally relevant feedstocks and raw materials, including soy, rice bran, cottonseed, sunflower seed, and other regional oils.
• Designing, executing, and evaluating trials to validate new opportunities and expand degumming, biodiesel, and enzymatic interesterification business.
• Supporting the development of a strong opportunity pipeline to achieve regional growth objectives.
• Evaluating competitor products and technologies to strengthen market understanding and positioning.
• Coordinating with Technical Service and Application Laboratory teams to conduct internal evaluations, customer sample testing, and analysis activities.
• Providing technical expertise and industry support that contribute to market development and customer success.

What you'll need to be successful in this role

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 6-10 years of relevant experience within vegetable oil processing, biodiesel production, specialty fats, oleochemicals, or related industries.
• Strong technical understanding of vegetable oil processing technologies and associated manufacturing operations.
• Experience in plant operations and process optimization activities.
• Proven troubleshooting skills within industrial processing environments.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across technical and commercial teams.
• Willingness to travel across the Middle East and Africa region to support customers and business growth.

Additional skills & interests we value

• Experience in biodiesel processing and enzymatic technologies.
• Knowledge of specialty fats and oleochemical applications.
• French language proficiency or other relevant regional language skills.
• Turkish language capability for candidates based in Türkiye.
• Experience supporting product launches and technology adoption.
• Interest in sustainable industrial solutions and innovation-driven customer partnerships.

What we offer you

At Novonesis, you will have the opportunity to work at the forefront of sustainable biosolutions and shape the future of the Oils and Fats industry.

We offer:

• A purpose-driven organization committed to creating a more sustainable future.
• Opportunities to work with leading customers and innovative technologies.
• Exposure to regional and global technical experts.
• A collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Professional development and learning opportunities.
• The chance to make a measurable impact on customer performance and sustainability outcomes.

Working conditions

• Regional role supporting customers across the Middle East and Africa.
• Regular travel to customer sites, production facilities, trial locations, and industry events.
• Hybrid working arrangement aligned with business requirements.
• Frequent interaction with customers, technical teams, laboratories, and commercial colleagues.
• Dynamic work environment requiring flexibility, problem-solving, and effective stakeholder engagement.

Our purpose guides the way

In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we've gotten so far. And it’s how we'll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless. If our purpose resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

Opportunities for everyone

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.

We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Explore other openings

If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at novonesis.com/Career