About us
With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Join us to collaborate, explore, and innovate as you build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you'll test new ideas, learn, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future.
About the role
Role Dimensions
Innovation is the lifeblood of any FMCG businesses and plays a key role in brand building enabling brands to improve brand equity, access new consumers and occasions as well as enticing premiumisation and crafting incremental value for our customers.
The Innovation Commercialisation Manager role is accountable for translating the Southern European innovation pipeline into a commercial reality through three main areas. Firstly, this role will partner with the European innovation team to bring the pipeline to gate 3 approval (concept and design) with Southern European specific consumer and customer validation. Secondly, the ICM will lead the commercialisation of each project to deliver outstanding execution and outcomes. This involves working with the Southern European consumer marketing team to develop a 3-year launch plan into gate 5 approval.
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Finally, the ICM role will then supervise perfect activation across all touchpoints into Gate 6 learning and drive issue resolution. The role works closely with European Innovation and the Southern European Sales and marketing teams throughout all stages.
Our Innovation Ambition
Innovation should be a leading engine for growth within our business, and we have an ambition to move to 10% of Southern Europe P&L from 2% today.
To enable this we need to ensure a strong and supported pipeline into cluster, have a leading innovation commercialization function and a fully integrated innovation business across the broader market teams.
Whether brand extensions, new to world product launches or sustainable pack and format innovations to future proof our business, the innovation agenda is a high focus area within Southern Europe and Greece, offering an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, varied and exciting team.
Lead Innovation Commercialisation Manager
We are looking for a high performing, commercially focused individual ready to take on the next step in their leadership journey within Diageo. This person will be able to balance critical thinking whilst also understanding and focusing on the granularity of detail needed to implement our brands brilliantly with the customer and the consumer.
Primary deliverable is the Iberia innovation performance, but you will also be a lead in the Continental Europe Innovation team using your experience, thought leadership and coaching in support of our total Continental Europe innovation delivery.
This role provides a great opportunity to build an extensive partner network within the business unit, across broader Continental Europe and with key Europe roles too.
On a day-to-day basis you will be a lead within the Continental Europe Innovation Team and work closely with the Head of Customer Marketing Greece, Southern Europe.
Functional Accountabilities:
- Our customers and the trade are encouraged by our innovation agenda - the pipeline is rooted in our customer, consumer and market insight and opportunities. Partner with the Europe Innovation team and Southern Europe marketing teams to ensure all innovation has clear consumer and customer needs.
- Clear thought through Commercialisation - Lead the commercialisation of our innovation pipeline, working with marketing and sales to ensure our organisation is set up for commercial success with all launches.
- Outstanding launches - our execution is the envy of our peers - we are called out as outstanding. You will work with a cross-functional team of Brand, Activation and NRM to lead excellent launch, champion and exit plans, interventions when needed and ensure we deliver our AOP. This should include a three-year plan at launch.
- Supervise and Review Execution - Partner with Marketing to ensure clear review and course accurate where needed for all Southern Europe launches. Support the development of the innovation strategy with the Southern Europe LT and work closely with the innovation team in Europe to develop a robust pipeline.
- Internal and external teamwork - You can lead a cross-functional team internally, delegate effectively and influence across levels to make things happen.
- Creative Problem solving - You can find solutions for business challenges and ensure internal barriers do not get in the way of external success.
- Commercial Expertise - You have a deep understanding of customer needs, and can use this insight to develop your projects.
Leadership Standards:
-Win Through Execution:
- Accountable for Iberia Innovation NSV delivery, A&P budget management to support
- Lead & manage the Gate process within cluster, ensuring on time, cluster LT aligned submissions for each launch. Articulate plans and intent in Europe Gatekeeper conversations within the context of broader Southern Europe strategy
- Deliver accurate, insightful and on time innovation reporting and analysis as part of the IBP cycle and ad-hoc as required
- Working closely with the Greek LT, performance manage the in-year Greece innovation P&L
- Work alongside Customer Marketing colleagues to ensure innovation plans will deliver targets from launch through to Year 3, understanding and being conversant with customer activation plans
- Business partner with Commercial Directors on annual planning process to ensure programs and A&P allocation supports both launch
- Lead course correction where needed within cluster for any innovation brands, feeding in and requesting support above country to ensure performance stays on track
-Shape the Future:
- Lead pipeline planning within cluster and regularly review to ensure we stay on track with our NSV pathway to F30 ambition
- Be a customer facing contact in senior meetings with key customers throughout the year to engage and excite on our innovation agenda ie. annual planning meetings, strategy days etc. Equip the sales team to be able to confidently engage on our innovation agenda for smaller customers and/or meeting forums
- Actively and regularly engage with sales teams through the Channel Directors on plans and prioritization for innovation brands
- Shape and focus key innovation commercialization breakthroughs to be achieved within cluster ie. the need for innovation delivery to over-index in Key Accounts
- Be a point of knowledge within the market and Southern Europe team, actively seeking and sharing external insights to further our innovation performance and capability
Inspire Through Purpose:
- Create the conditions for the Iberia business to take bold bets on innovation launches
- Be seen as a leader within the Greek business, building strong and effective relationships
About you
Ideal experiences / Qualifications / capabilities
- Breadth of experience (min.5 yrs) across customer P&L management and customer marketing. Consumer marketing experience would be beneficial but not crucial.
- Ability to think strategically whilst also applying rigour to executional detail.
- Someone who is highly analytical and detail oriented.
- Somebody who is curious to new opportunities and adopts a growth mindset to make things happen - we will only hit our 20% ambition if we think and act differently!
- An ability to clearly and succinctly articulate plans, creating simple and engaging messaging from complexity
- Confirmed ability to work and deliver results in a multi-cultural, multi-language, geographically remote team
- Great positive energy bringer to our recently formed team
- Easily adapts to change and able to course correct as needed
- Self starter, with a high focus on performance delivery
- Actively seeks opportunities to simplify and improve processes
- Willingness and ability to work on a wide variety of projects. A high level of prioritization will be required
- A working knowledge and understanding of the Iberia (Spain, Portugal & Canary Islands) market would be beneficial
- Strong Excel capability.
- Fluency in English & Greek is crucial. Spanish/Portuguese/Italian/French would be a contributed.
Working with us
Flexible Working Statement:
Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.
Rewards & Benefits Statement:
Join us and you can also expect a highly competitive and flexible rewards and benefits package such as:
- Modern work life balance policies (like hybrid work) and wellbeing activities.
- Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Annual bonus (dependent on performance).
- Product allowance.
- Holiday Vouchers.
- Life Assurance.
Diversity statement:
Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.
We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.
Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.
Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.
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