Nutritionist at Unga Holding
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Nairobi, Kenya
Job summary
Nutritionist at Unga Holding
About this role
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1. Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Animal Nutrition and Feed Formulation Specialist to support the development, optimization, quality management, and commercial performance of animal feed products.
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that animal feed formulations consistently meet nutritional requirements, quality standards, production needs, and commercial targets. The role covers a broad range of animal categories, including poultry, ruminants, swine, rabbits, horses, monkeys, laboratory animals, and fish.
The position will also play an important role in new product development, raw material evaluation, technical support, customer complaint resolution, and capacity building for the commercial team. The specialist will work closely with procurement, production, quality assurance, sales, marketing, business development, and external nutrition partners.
The ultimate objective is to provide cost-effective, high-quality feeds that deliver strong animal performance while protecting the company's reputation and strengthening its competitive position across East Africa.
2. Key Objectives of the Role
The role is primarily responsible for achieving the following objectives:
Optimize animal feed formulations to deliver the required nutritional specifications at competitive costs.
Review formulations regularly in response to changes in raw material prices, availability, quality, and market requirements.
Maintain the nutritional and commercial performance of existing products.
Identify gaps in the market and translate them into opportunities for new product development.
Conduct trials to evaluate animal performance and production economics.
Provide technical support to sales and marketing teams, particularly in the swine and rabbit segments.
Support timely investigation and resolution of nutrition-related customer complaints.
Ensure raw material and finished-product specifications remain aligned with quality requirements.
Evaluate new and alternative raw materials for potential inclusion in feed formulations.
Use current scientific knowledge, digital tools, formulation technologies, and emerging industry developments to maintain the company's competitive advantage.
3. Feed Formulation – Nairobi and Nakuru Plants
The specialist will oversee and optimize feed formulations used across the Nairobi and Nakuru production facilities.
Key responsibilities include:
Developing and periodically reviewing formulations for poultry, ruminants, swine, rabbits, horses, monkeys, laboratory animals, and other relevant livestock categories.
Conducting least-cost reformulation whenever market conditions, raw material availability, nutritional requirements, or production needs change.
Ensuring formulations provide the required nutritional value while maintaining commercially viable margins.
Monitoring existing Kenchic formulations and making appropriate adjustments where necessary.
Providing updated formulations to plant management for timely implementation.
Working closely with production teams to ensure approved formulas are correctly applied.
Reviewing the nutritional impact of changes in raw material quality or availability.
Preparing average proximate analysis values for recently tested raw materials.
Evaluating the suitability of alternative raw materials through formulation software and technical analysis.
4. Raw Material Planning and Formulation Coordination
Effective raw material planning is a critical component of the position.
The specialist will coordinate monthly formulation planning activities with relevant internal departments.
Responsibilities include:
Organizing a monthly raw material planning meeting on the third Tuesday of each month.
Working with Procurement, Plant Managers, the Business Development Manager, and the Farm Care Business Controller to develop requirements for the following month's formulations.
Obtaining current market and system raw material prices from Procurement and Plant Controllers.
Reviewing raw material availability, pricing, quality, and limitations.
Preparing formulation inputs based on sales forecasts.
Identifying potential raw material shortages or cost pressures before they affect production.
Participating in weekly planning meetings to address nutrition-related challenges.
Recommending suitable alternatives where specific raw materials become unavailable or commercially unviable.
Evaluating the effect of changing raw material prices on feed costs and product margins.
5. Collaboration with External Nutrition Partners
The role will involve regular engagement with Trouw Nutrition to ensure that the company's formulations benefit from current technical knowledge and industry developments.
Key activities include:
Participating in the monthly formulation meeting held on the third Wednesday of each month.
Sharing information on raw material prices and availability.
Providing details of raw material restrictions and formulation limitations.
Presenting sales forecasts to support formulation planning.
Discussing new nutritional technologies and technical developments.
Reviewing formulation recommendations provided by the nutrition partner.
Compiling monthly formulation reports.
Ensuring relevant formulation updates are communicated to production teams in a timely manner.
6. Mineral and Premix Formulations
The specialist will also support the management of mineral and premix formulations.
Responsibilities include:
Reviewing mineral and premix formulations at least annually.
Confirming that formulations remain appropriate based on raw material quality and consistency.
Updating in-house mineral and premix formulations within the Bestmix formulation system.
Ensuring nutritional specifications remain aligned with production and product requirements.
Coordinating formulation changes with relevant technical and production teams.
7. Fish Feed Formulation
The position will provide dedicated formulation support to the fish feed production operation.
Key duties include:
Preparing monthly formulation information for submission to Trouw Nutrition by the 18th of each month.
Providing information on raw material prices, formulation limitations, and anticipated sales volumes.
Following up with the Quality Assurance Officer to ensure available raw materials are properly analyzed.
Ensuring analytical results are updated in the NIR system.
Supporting availability of accurate raw material information within Nutriopt.
Reviewing formulation recommendations received from Trouw Nutrition.
Forwarding approved formulations to the Plant Controller for costing.
Sharing finalized formulations with the Nairobi Feeds Plant Manager and relevant production personnel.
Coordinating with the Tunga production team and Quality Assurance function to ensure implementation.
Organizing a monthly fish reformulation planning meeting on the third Tuesday of every month.
8. Production and Raw Material Forecasting
The specialist will contribute to production planning by translating anticipated sales volumes into raw material requirements.
Responsibilities include:
Preparing monthly raw material forecasts for the Nairobi, Nakuru, and Tunga plants.
Using sales forecasts supplied by the National Sales Manager and Tunga General Manager.
Providing guidance on the quantities of raw materials required for upcoming production cycles.
Supporting Procurement with technical recommendations regarding raw material sourcing.
Identifying alternative suppliers where appropriate.
Assessing the impact of alternative suppliers on raw material quality and formulation performance.
Running formulation scenarios based on different raw material prices.
Evaluating alternative ingredients and varying quality specifications.
Determining whether new raw materials can be safely and economically incorporated into existing formulations.
The specialist will also investigate unconventional ingredients with potential nutritional and commercial value, including alternatives such as black soldier fly (BSF), lupins, croton, and other emerging feed ingredients.
9. Swine and Rabbit Technical Support
A major component of the role will be strengthening the company's position in the swine and rabbit feed markets.
Key responsibilities include:
Monitoring sales performance of newly revamped swine and rabbit product ranges.
Working with Sales and Marketing teams to increase product volumes.
Providing technical information to sales representatives and customers.
Developing technical materials to support the promotion of pig and rabbit feeds.
Conducting field trials to assess animal performance.
Monitoring results from swine and rabbit feeding trials.
Using trial findings to inform product improvement.
Identifying gaps in the market and developing products to address those needs.
Supporting development of new formulations that comply with applicable KEBS standards.
Expanding successful product concepts across the wider portfolio where commercially appropriate.
Supporting development of pig and rabbit information resources.
The role will also involve uploading relevant pig nutrition information and supporting the development of a performance calculator within the Fugo Smart application.
10. New Product Development
Innovation will be an important part of the position.
The successful candidate will be expected to identify opportunities for new products by combining:
Market intelligence.
Customer feedback.
Sales trends.
Animal performance data.
Nutritional research.
Competitor analysis.
Raw material availability.
Production economics.
Emerging feed technologies.
The specialist will participate in product development trials and evaluate whether proposed products can deliver acceptable animal performance while remaining commercially viable.
Cost-of-production analysis should also be conducted alongside commodity price assessments to determine the economic sustainability of new formulations.
11. Quality Assurance and Customer Complaint Resolution
Maintaining product quality is essential to protecting customer confidence and the company's reputation.
Responsibilities include:
Reviewing raw material specifications.
Reviewing finished product specifications.
Coordinating specification alignment and approval.
Ensuring raw materials are correctly coded within the NIR system.
Confirming appropriate coding of finished products.
Working closely with Quality Assurance teams to investigate nutritional complaints.
Supporting root-cause analysis of customer concerns.
Recommending appropriate corrective actions.
Following up with production teams to confirm that approved formulation changes have been implemented.
Monitoring formulation compliance at plant level.
The specialist will be expected to respond quickly and effectively to nutrition-related complaints while ensuring that investigations are based on sound technical evidence.
12. Technology, Research and Innovation
The role requires continuous awareness of developments in animal nutrition and feed manufacturing.
The specialist should:
Keep up with emerging nutritional technologies.
Monitor developments in alternative feed ingredients.
Review relevant research and industry information.
Assess opportunities to improve feed efficiency.
Explore technologies that improve formulation accuracy.
Use formulation and analytical software effectively.
Introduce data-driven approaches to feed optimization.
Evaluate innovations that could improve product quality, margins, and animal performance.
The ability to translate new technical knowledge into practical commercial solutions will be an important success factor.
13. Minimum Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should meet the following minimum requirements:
Bachelor's degree in Animal Health and Production, Animal Science, Animal Nutrition, or a closely related discipline.
At least four years of relevant professional experience.
Demonstrated experience in animal feed formulation.
Practical knowledge of feed formulation software.
Strong understanding of animal nutritional requirements.
Experience analyzing raw material quality and nutritional values.
Ability to conduct research for new product development.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Good understanding of production economics.
Excellent computer skills, particularly in spreadsheet applications.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills will be highly valuable.
14. Key Competencies and Personal Attributes
The ideal candidate should demonstrate a combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and strong interpersonal skills.
Important competencies include:
Feed formulation expertise: Ability to develop and optimize nutritionally sound and commercially competitive formulas.
Analytical ability: Capacity to interpret complex technical, financial, and market information.
Excel proficiency: Strong ability to manipulate data and develop useful analytical tools.
Commercial awareness: Understanding of how formulation decisions affect product margins and market competitiveness.
Strategic thinking: Ability to anticipate market developments and identify future opportunities.
Problem-solving: Capacity to resolve formulation, production, quality, and customer-related challenges.
Learning agility: Willingness and ability to quickly understand new technologies and technical developments.
Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with Procurement, Production, Quality, Sales, Marketing, and other stakeholders.
Self-motivation: Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
Execution speed: Ability to respond promptly to changing business and production requirements.
Communication: Ability to explain technical nutrition concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
15. What Success in the Role Looks Like
Performance in this position will be reflected through measurable improvements in:
Feed formulation quality and consistency.
Product cost optimization and gross margins.
Timeliness of formulation updates.
Accuracy of raw material forecasting.
Successful implementation of approved formulations.
Resolution of nutrition-related customer complaints.
Development and successful launch of new products.
Growth of swine and rabbit feed volumes.
Quality of technical support provided to the commercial team.
Effective adoption of new nutritional technologies.
Improved animal performance from company feed products.
Continued competitiveness and market share across East Africa.
The successful candidate will therefore combine technical animal nutrition expertise with commercial judgment, innovation, and strong execution capability to support the company's continued growth and reputation for quality.
Application
Go to Unga Holding on career55.sapsf.eu to apply