cabinet de recrutement agroalimentaire

Recruitment agency specialising in PAI, Food Ingredients & Nutraceuticals

 

Leaderia has been supporting and advising companies and players in the agri-food industry for 17 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?

 

Our specialist headhunters advise and recruit the best talent for all players in the food ingredients, PAI and nutraceutical industries, whether they are distributors or manufacturers:

▪ Flavourings
▪ preservatives
▪ texturisers (hydrocolloids, gelling agents, etc.)
▪ emulsifiers
▪ Flavour enhancers
▪ colourings
▪ stabilisers
▪ Vegetable extracts
▪ (…)

Testimonials

Approached by Leaderia to join the Leitmotiv group, I benefited from exceptionally smooth, professional, and supportive guidance from Anne-Marie. Her active listening and precise advice made me feel truly valued and treated as a partner. The transparency of the process, along with regular briefings and feedback, allowed me to approach each step with complete confidence. Beyond the recruitment itself, this support helped me clarify my future scope and enter my new role with total peace of mind.

Kevin Grandel de Keating

Marketing & Communication Director, Leitmotiv

I appreciated Leaderia’s structured and dynamic approach throughout the recruitment process. Our exchanges allowed us to carefully align the key challenges of the role, the mission, and my profile. The efficiency of the follow-up and the clarity of the feedback provided real transparency at every stage. A direct, rigorous approach with a strong focus on active listening.

Philippe Cambourg

S&OP Director, Sodexo

During my job search, I particularly appreciated the clarity and quality of my exchanges with Leaderia. Their adherence to timelines and attentive approach allowed us to accurately confirm the fit between my profile and the proposed role. Stéphane provided relevant, insightful advice throughout the entire process. An onboarding experience I whole-heartedly recommend.

Xavier Barbieux

Plant Manager, Coustenoble

I particularly appreciated the human touch and the quality of follow-up from the Leaderia team throughout my recruitment process. Our exchanges were consistently pleasant, smooth, and attentive to my needs. Marion was able to answer all my questions and guide me at every step. Thanks to this support, I secured my dream job.

Marjolaine Le Caignard

Auditor, Certis

Leaderia supported me throughout my job search with attentiveness and trust. Thanks to Stéphane and Marion’s advice, I was able to approach each stage of the process with peace of mind. The seamless communication and high quality of guidance quickly made me feel confident. This close working relationship was a true source of support throughout my entire journey.

David Hermon

Site Director, Fromagerie du Val de Sienne

Faced with a talent shortage, we turned to Leaderia on the recommendation of our partner Unigrains. The team quickly understood our key challenges, and we particularly appreciated the straightforward and genuine nature of our exchanges. The high caliber of candidates presented gave us access to profiles we likely wouldn’t have identified on our own. As a result, we recruited two team members who are now fully integrated, all while saving valuable time.

Aude Fouctière

HR Director, Beillevaire Group

We called upon Leaderia to recruit a Business Development Manager responsible for launching a new product in the food-service market. Their deep knowledge of the HORECA sector and immediate understanding of our strategy were key to our success. We particularly appreciated the team’s availability, responsiveness, transparency, and high-quality follow-up. Their guidance allowed us to navigate this strategic recruitment with total peace of mind.

Farida Riahi

HR France Director, AB Mauri France

Looking to take my career in a new direction, Anne-Marie took the time to understand my background and aspirations. She presented me with an opportunity I wouldn’t have considered on my own: managing a Relais & Châteaux property in the Paris region. I particularly appreciated the quality of our exchanges, the transparency of the process, and Leaderia’s ability to create a genuine match between talent and a project. Two years on, this opportunity has proven to be a true career and life-changing decision.

Clément Gohin

Managing Director, Hôtel Les Lumières

In a context of rapid growth, we entrusted Leaderia with recruiting two executive profiles that were particularly challenging to identify. Marion quickly understood our challenges and supported us with responsiveness, transparency, and a close working relationship. Her ability to adjust the search based on our ongoing discussions was especially valuable. Both recruitments were a complete success, and both employees are still with the company today.

Domitille Baudin

HR Director, Calicéo

As part of a strategic position creation, we were looking for an experienced, agile profile capable of supporting the launch and structuring of a new brand. Anne-Marie’s active listening and quality dialogue quickly built a strong relationship of trust. Her guidance also helped us refine our requirements and realign our search whenever necessary. Ultimately, we found the right candidate to structure and support our organization over the long term.

Raphaël de Laage

Managing Director, AH Management

I completed a 4-month part-time interim management mission for a Leaderia client. The assignment was a perfect match for my expertise, enabling me to address the client’s needs quickly and effectively. The ongoing communication with both parties was seamless, supported by monthly progress reviews.

Hélène Orliac

CSR Interim Manager

I needed someone to lay the groundwork, define a vision and action plan, structure, streamline, prioritize, and measure the impact of our decisions. Leaderia found the right person in just two days and connected us almost immediately.

Laurence Gad

CEO & CSR Lead, Seritel

Anaïs, the consultant who supported us on our various recruitments, made a deep effort to understand our company beyond the job scope itself, our human environment, philosophy, and values, to present us with a candidate who was both skilled and a great fit for our team.

Jean-Marc Venin

CEO, Ami Ingrédients

Through this testimonial, I would like to highlight the quality of Leaderia’s support, starting with the time spent understanding our needs and our core identity, as well as the relevance of the questions asked during the initial brief.

Pascal Reungoat

Sales Director, Ami Ingrédients

The recruitment process established by Leaderia is exceptionally well-crafted. The brief regarding the employer’s needs is clear and precise, and the exchanges with Anne-Marie are open, constructive, and effortless.

Matthieu Barreau

General Manager, Les Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche

Leaderia supported us in recruiting strategic positions within our organization.

Corentin Allée

HR Director, Kersia

Over the years and across our various collaborations, I have come to deeply appreciate the extensive expertise and professionalism of Anne-Marie Lefèvre and Leaderia in truly understanding our industry.

Stéphane Tabardel

Operations Director, ACCOR Midscale / Luxury Franchise Network

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:

Executive Committee
  • 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
Read more
Sales & Support
  • 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
Read more
R&D
  • 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
Read more
Production & Manufacturing
  • 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
Read more

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 17 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 :

cabinet management transition

Interim management

If you need specific, immediate expertise for a specific period of time

bilan de compétence

Assessment

If you need to assess an employee's potential for internal development

Coaching dirigeant

Coaching

If an employee needs to develop intra- or inter-personal skills.

Cabinet outplacement

Outplacement

If an employee needs to move on to a new professional opportunity

cabinet de recrutement nantes

Recruitment

If you are looking to strengthen your team with strategic profiles

Formation recrutement

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:

  1. Briefing & Consultation – Understanding the needs and advising on the most relevant search strategies (expected profile, headhunting, job ads, etc.).
  2. Talent Sourcing – Targeted selection based on skills, personality, industry experience, and geographic mobility.
  3. Initial Candidate Interviews – Conducted by the assigned recruitment consultant.
  4. Psychometric Assessments – If applicable (e.g., SOSIE, Watson Glaser III).
  5. Shortlist Presentation – A curated selection of top candidates.
  6. Client Interviews – Candidates meet with the company.
  7. 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

Upcycling : une nouvelle organisation pour les entreprises alimentaires ?

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 […]

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