Ice Cream Senior RD&I Manager – Sharing and Scooping/Eastern Europe and Nordics

Sharing and Scooping Ice Cream Product Design

• Lead the RD&I design, creation and delivery of innovative Sharing and Scooping products for launch OTIF

• Business partnering with local market cluster (Eastern Europe and Nordics) and leading E2Ecompliance working with EU Lead RA, quality and safety

• Deliver functional product specifications and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

• Champion continuous improvement and inspirational Sharing and Scooping Product Design

• Proactively contribute to defining medium-term Sharing and Scooping innovation roadmap

• Lead risk assessment, HACCP studies and ensure regulatory compliance

• Lead robust intellectual property protection, including: Patents, Designs Trademarks

• Lead sustainability, complexity reduction, quality and value improvement

• Drive agile innovation

• Incorporation of Chefmanship in the development of NPDs and renovation of Core

Technical project leadership

• Manage and lead all technical workstreams to deliver project(s), including process design, formulation, packaging, specifications, consumer insight, safety, regulatory and intellectual property

• Manage cross-functional resources to deliver against project milestones including: Consumer Insight; Supply Chain; Finance; and Regulatory teams.

• Manage and lead `Open Innovation’ partners to deliver project(s), including technical delivery, CDA’s and service agreements

• Manage `Sharing and Scooping’ RD&I budget (bought-in and capital), including tracking spend against RD&I activities

• Drive robust innovation process and project management (including IPM Navigator, Functional excellence)

• Ensure clear management of stakeholder groups (e.g. RD&I VPs, Category Senior VPs, Cluster teams and supplier/partner companies)

• Contribute to the growth and development of the EU IC RDC team

• Line management and development of Sharing and Scooping team

• Actively participate in RDC leadership team and lead RDC strategy implementation

• Proactively contribute to recruitment and development of talent including, direct reports, apprentices, UFLP scheme

ALL ABOUT YOU

Essential from Day 0:

• Proven experience working with Eastern Europe and/or Nordics businesses with language skills

• Working with project finance and the designing strategic innovation business cases

• A deep knowledge of and passion for product design and creative product development

• Proven ability to translate consumer habits and needs into in-market product innovation

• Degree level qualification (or equivalent) and / or relevant experience in a technical discipline preferably in food technology or development

• Working with colleagues from different cultures and team building

Desirable from Day 0/Essential as you grow in the role:

• Understanding of scale-up and operational implementation

• Excellent communication and project management skills

• Time management and priority setting

• Knowledge and experience in regulatory affairs management

• Drive Health and Safety compliance

• Professional networking and stakeholder management, external focus

• Significant experience of the successful leadership of an innovation portfolio, projects and teams

• Significant experience of project management, including with third parties

• Relevant experience in ice cream (Sharing and Scooping) development is desirable