Research and Innovation AI & Algorithm Manager

Short Intro and About the Job

Danone France is not trying to be the best company in the world, but the best company for the world! That's why all 26 of our brands in France are B Corp™ certified. B Corp is the compass that guides our CSR strategy! This certification allows us to challenge ourselves, continually improve and measure our social and environmental performance. 

Danone's research and innovation (R&I) centre, located in Gif-sur-Yvette on the Saclay plateau, is a global center of excellence dedicated to food innovation research. Inaugurated in 2023, this ultra-modern center is at the heart of one of the world's leading scientific hubs. It is home to more than 500 passionate experts of 40 different nationalities, working in the fields of life sciences, health and nutrition, consumer experience and the development of tomorrow's products. Equipped with laboratories and pilot facilities, it supports innovation and development. 

The Danone R&I Center is part of a global research ecosystem designed to foster collaboration with food technology start-ups and accelerate innovation in partnership with consumers and food and health stakeholders. 

About Danone's DDAI Transformation in Research & Innovation :

• At Danone, our Research & Innovation (R&I) division is at the heart of our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible. To invent the future of food and become truly future-fit, we have launched DDAI (Data, Digital & AI), a transformative program designed to revolutionize our R&I landscape.
• Our DDAI strategy is focused on delivering significant value across six strategic flagships, including pioneering work in Gut Health & Microbiome, In Silico Modeling, Consumer Insights, and Digitization & Efficiency.
• The DDAI Lab's mission is to accelerate the delivery of these initiatives, build the strong data foundations needed to power AI, and ensure we focus on the most valuable projects. We are currently driving our top 20 priority projects; a dynamic portfolio composed of 14 high-impact use cases and 6 foundational projects.

Join us to be a part of reshaping the future of food and wellness !

Position Overwiew : 

Reporting to the Director of DDAI Tech & AI, the R&I AI & Algorithm Manager is the scientific and technical leader for all our artificial intelligence initiatives and will:

• Lead the Algorithm & AI approach for R&I, including the vision for Generative AI to keep Danone at the forefront of technological solutions and scientific breakthroughs. The candidate should be able to participate to the development of algorithm itself
• Ensure methodology rigor and excellence and encourage a delivery mindset
• Direct the design, development of advanced AI and optimization algorithms, leading (transversal management) the data science team to solve complex challenges across all DDAI use cases.
• Establish and oversee AI governance and best practices, ensuring all AI products are robust, scalable, ethically sound, and deliver maximum business impact.

Key Responsibilities :

• Define and execute the Algorithm & AI approach to comply with the R&I Strategy. This includes GenAI, ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Drive innovation by leading a technological watch and fostering collaboration with internal teams, universities, and external labs.
• Lead the end-to-end AI product lifecycle, from designing and optimizing advanced algorithms to overseeing the scaling of robust products, while implementing MLOps best practices.
• Lead, mentor, and manage the Data Scientist & Data Analyst team (MNS Data Science team) as their technical leader.
• Animate the R&I Science & Data community to mutualize expertise and ensure the adoption of best practices across all DDAI use cases.
• Establish AI and GenAI governance guidelines to mitigate risks, in alignment with the central DDAI governance framework.

Our employer commitments:

• The guarantee of a relevant, competitive and scalable compensation package, through external benchmark and internal equity. It consists among other things of a fixed salary, an yearly bonus, gain sharing.
• Flexibility of work and workplaces, such as weekly homeworking.
• Skills development for all, thanks to our Danone Academy France and through a year-round managerial conversation cycle.
• The possibility to use up to 3 days a year of volunteering through the platform Vendredi.
• Parenting policy benefits, such as extended Parental Leave (14 additional maternity/paternity days covered), or the ability to convert some earnings into time off.
• Other benefits include a complementary pension scheme, health care plan, CSE, 100% of the Navigo pass covered

About You

The criteria below remain indicative. A candidate who has a different combination of experience and skills could also be considered:

• Master’s in Data Science, Computer Science or related field 7+ years in data science
• Expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and Generative AI
• Strong experience of delivering high-stake AI and GenAI industrialized products (NLP projects, RAG, …)
• Proficiency in cloud platforms, data engineering tools, AI, and MLOps frameworks
• Experience in integrating AI solutions into cloud infrastructure and with Microsoft Copilot
• Strong understanding of software engineering principles including CI/CD, clean code, and code packaging for industrialization
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience in biology and food sciences

We are proud to promote diversity and equal opportunity within our teams. We believe that our differences will make a difference, and that an inclusive work environment will drive our growth as a company, as a team, and as individuals. We will therefore consider all applications* by fostering an inclusive work culture where everyone can feel at home.

We have also chosen to remove inclusive writing from our job offers because its complexity penalizes people with cognitive disabilities, including dyslexia, dysphasia, or apraxia.

*All nominations will be considered regardless of origin, background, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability…

About Us, We offer and What's next

One Planet, One Health - BY YOU!

Our four core values "HOPE": HUMANISM, OPENNESS, CLOSENESS and ENTHUSIASM serve as our compass.

Every day, you will make decisions that impact our economic and societal performance, as well as our ability to achieve our ambitions.

At Danone, you can just be yourself. We are convinced that it is up to YOU to define how you work, develop and progress.

With us, you will work in a challenging, authentic, and caring environment.

Want to know more about the daily life of our danoners? Check out our LinkedIn page and our @DanoneTalentFrance Instagram account.

You want to take action to bring health through food to as many people as possible? Join us!

#LI-FR