Innovation & Application Manager – UK/IRL

In this role you drive technical growth and innovation for Brenntag’s Nutrition distribution business in the UK & Ireland. You lead the Leeds Innovation & Application Centre, managing a small technical team to deliver high-quality ingredient evaluations, application development, and customer support. You will collaborate with suppliers and cross-functional teams, contribute to the EMEA network, and ensure safe, compliant operations. This is a chance to shape technical excellence and influence regional growth through hands-on lab work and strategic partnerships.

• Manage a pipeline of technical projects to support growth across the UK & Ireland and select EMEA initiatives
• Evaluate strategic ingredients via analytical assessments, functional testing, and application development
• Support commercial teams with customer projects, technical recommendations, presentations, troubleshooting, and visits
• Lead and develop a 2–3 person technical team, fostering excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning
• Maintain hands-on involvement in laboratory activities, ingredient evaluations, and customer projects
• Oversee Leeds IAC operations, ensuring efficient resources, safety, and regulatory compliance
• Plan, execute, document, and report technical activities using company systems
• Build strong technical partnerships with strategic suppliers for joint development and innovation
• Collaborate with Product Managers and Commercial teams to identify technical opportunities and drive growth
• Manage the annual CAPEX budget for Leeds IAC to support safety, continuous improvement, and capabilities
• Participate in the EMEA Application & Innovation Network to share best practices and contribute to cross-regional initiatives

• Experience leading a small technical team in a lab or centre environment
• Strong track record in ingredient evaluation, analytical testing, and application development
• Customer-facing experience with project support, troubleshooting, and technical presentations
• Hands-on lab involvement and ability to lead by example
• Budget management and resource planning capabilities
• Ability to work across cross-functional teams and regional networks
• Regulatory compliance awareness and commitment to safety

• leadership
• collaboration
• communication
• analytical testing
• functional testing
• application development