Recruitment agency specialising in PAI, Food Ingredients & Nutraceuticals
Leaderia has been supporting and advising companies and players in the agri-food industry for 15 years.
Our team of recruiters specialising in intermediate food products (IFAs), nutraceuticals and ingredients (commodity, speciality, functional, plant-based, bioactive, etc.) identify and select top executives, managers, engineers and technical experts for international groups, SMEs and French start-ups.
Which companies
do wefor?
Leaderia has been supporting and advising companies and players in the agri-food industry for 15 years.
Our team of recruiters specialising in intermediate food products (IFAs), nutraceuticals and ingredients (commodity, speciality, functional, plant-based, bioactive, etc.) identify and select top executives, managers, engineers and technical experts for international groups, SMEs and French start-ups.
▪ Flavourings
▪ preservatives
▪ texturisers (hydrocolloids, gelling agents, etc.)
▪ emulsifiers
▪ Flavour enhancers
▪ colourings
▪ stabilisers
▪ Vegetable extracts
▪ (…)
What food ingredient professions are we recruiting for?
We recruit in all areas of food and nutraceutical applications for executive positions: from technical experts to senior managers. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the professions for which we have been appointed:
- Chief Executive Officer
- BU Director
- Director of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs
- Quality Director France
- Raw Materials Purchasing Director
- Human Resources Director
- Administrative and Financial Director
- Export Sales Director
- Plant Alternatives R&D Director
- Sales Director, Aquaculture Solutions
- Ingredients Sales Director
- Export manager
- Consumer research manager
- Flavour sales manager
- Innovation marketing manager
- Raw materials purchasing manager
- Life Cyle manager
- CSR manager
- Industrial performance manager
- Ingredients technical sales engineer
- Head of petfood R&D
- Head of medical nutrition development
- New Product Development Manager
- Product R&D Manager
- Research centre manager
- Plant innovation engineer
- Culinary designer
- Formulator
- Flavourist
- Quality manager
- Supplier quality manager
- Quality control laboratory manager
- Application laboratory manager
- Food laboratory manager
- HACCP quality manager
- Industrial chromatography engineer
- Microbiological food safety engineer
- Microbiology engineer
- Fermentation process engineer
We find the ingredients for your success
What areas of ingredient application are we looking for talent for?
We’ve been specialising in recruitment for upstream and downstream agri-food companies for 15 years.
Leaderia supports and advises its clients in all areas of the ingredients, intermediate food products and nutraceuticals market, including :
- biotech
- health foods
- food supplements
- plant-based alternatives
- animal, infant and medical nutrition
- dietetics
- Health
- fermented foods / probiotics
- dairy products
- Savoury products
- sweet products
- Prepared dishes
The full range of Leaderia services
In addition to recruitment, Leaderia can also help you with :
Interim management
If you need specific, immediate expertise for a specific period of time
Professional training
If you want to strengthen the recruitment expertise of your HR teams
Find out more about the Food sector - Ingredients & PAI
What ingredient profiles are we recruiting?
Our recruitment agency recruits from executive level through to senior management positions (CoDir, C-suite). Our customers appoint us to a wide range of jobs, from new product development engineer to technical sales manager, via R&D laboratory manager.
We therefore target candidates with executive profiles and expertise in the ingredients, intermediate food products or nutraceuticals markets.
What is the employment dynamic in the ingredients and intermediate food products market?
The Recruitment Team for the Ingredients and Intermediate Food Products Division
Our team specializes in identifying and recruiting senior executives and technical experts across France and Europe. To achieve this, our consultant Anaïs Deleau, Head of the division, leverages her fluency in French, English, German, and Italian.
Leaderia is also a proud member of IFR-A, the only headhunting association dedicated to agri-food industry professionals, covering everything from ingredients to consumer products.
IFR-A (International Food Recruitment Alliance) enhances our European recruitment capabilities through a shared methodology among all its members, operating in:
- United Kingdom, Ireland
- Germany, Austria
- Italy
- Poland and Eastern Europe
- Netherlands
- Denmark, Sweden, Finland
Why Choose Leaderia to Recruit an Ingredients Expert?
The market for food ingredients, intermediate food products, and nutraceuticals is highly technical and requires experienced and qualified professionals in this field.
One of Leaderia’s key strengths is its structure, organized into four sector-specific divisions, each with a dedicated team of recruiters.
The Ingredients Division has been led by Anaïs Deleau for 9 years. Her expertise in the ingredients industry is now widely recognized, allowing her to quickly and accurately understand client needs and efficiently identify the most suitable talents.
Our Executive Search Process
The first step in any executive search mandate is to contact Anaïs Deleau or a team member via phone or email.
Once contact is established, we implement a comprehensive methodology to find the right talent for your job search and company.
This 7-step recruitment process includes:
- Briefing & Consultation – Understanding the needs and advising on the most relevant search strategies (expected profile, headhunting, job ads, etc.).
- Talent Sourcing – Targeted selection based on skills, personality, industry experience, and geographic mobility.
- Initial Candidate Interviews – Conducted by the assigned recruitment consultant.
- Psychometric Assessments – If applicable (e.g., SOSIE, Watson Glaser III).
- Shortlist Presentation – A curated selection of top candidates.
- Client Interviews – Candidates meet with the company.
- Final Decision & Integration Support – Assistance in the final selection and follow-up for six months post-hiring.
Our Fees
Leaderia operates on a fixed-fee model, independent of the time spent on search, evaluation, and candidate presentation.
Our customized fees are determined based on:
- The rarity of the profile
- The anticipated annual gross salary for the role
- The geographical location
- The level of confidentiality required
- The urgency of the recruitment
This ensures a transparent and tailored approach to finding the best talent for your business.
Where to Find Us at Trade Shows?
We attend most trade shows specializing in the agri-food, ingredients, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics industries:
- Natexpo
- SIAL
- Cosmétagora
- Space
- I Feel Good
- CFIA
- Nutr’Event
- CPHI Milan
- FIE
- Nutraceuticals Europe Summit & Expo
- Vitafoods
- RV Formulation
- Nutriform Business Days
- Biofach
What Are the Trends in the Food Ingredients Market?
The food ingredients market—both for commodities and specialty ingredients—is experiencing strong growth. This momentum is driven by two major factors:
- The demand for healthier and more natural alternatives – Consumers are increasingly attentive to nutritional quality, favoring NutriScore-friendly and Clean Label ingredients.
- A quest for new sensory experiences – Younger generations are seeking exotic flavors, unique textures, bold colors, and global culinary influences, pushing companies to source ingredients in more diverse and sustainable ways.
The health and nutrition market, including nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, continues to expand. Despite economic challenges, health-conscious eating is on the rise and remains a priority for consumers. However, R&D and marketing challenges—such as targeting the right audience without stigmatization, prioritizing effective galenic forms, enhancing efficacy while reducing costs—are becoming increasingly critical.
Finally, in the European market, small and emerging companies are successfully expanding worldwide, particularly in microalgae innovations. This signals a new horizon for the food ingredients industry, with a growing diversity of players shaping its future.
Intermediate Food Products (PAI): Definition
Intermediate Food Products (PAI) are ingredients that have undergone an initial industrial transformation before being reintegrated into the food production process. These products typically serve a functional purpose and are used across all food applications, including:
- Infant nutrition
- Medical and dietary foods
- Prepared meals
- Culinary aids and sauces
- Bakery, pastry, and viennoiserie
- Savory food applications
PAIs play a crucial role in optimizing food formulations, enhancing texture, stability, and nutritional value while ensuring efficiency in large-scale production
What Is Nutraceuticals?
Nutraceuticals define the health-food industry, positioned at the intersection of nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and natural medicine. This field highlights the crucial role of food in maintaining human health.
The most well-known nutraceutical product is the dietary supplement, which embodies functional nutrition at its core. Nutraceuticals are used for both preventive and therapeutic purposes, leveraging the benefits of nutrients, plants, and minerals to support human health.
This rapidly growing market reflects increasing consumer demand. With an expanding range of dosage forms (liquids, powders, capsules, pills, etc.), innovative industrial processes, and eco-friendly sourcing (such as plant extracts), the nutraceutical industry is thriving. Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are prime examples of this trend.
Mag’ Articles on Ingredients
How will the upcycling of food ingredients impact the life of organizations?
Impossible to miss upcycling: widely honored at the flagship food ingredients trade show, the FIE, constantly mentioned in the media, upcycling is a key subject in our organizations. A search for convinced ambassadors And this is only the beginning… for Samuel Olivier, partner of Circul’egg, a start-up that has been using egg co-products for 3 […]
