Senior Director, Consumer Science, Innovation

Job Description

Are You Ready to Make It Happen at Mondelēz International?

Join our Mission to Lead the Future of Snacking. Make It With Pride.

As a leader, you set direction to ensure your global team delivers against innovation programs within the Mondelez Consumer Science Team and effectively manages resources. You take the lead in developing direction, and as a senior member of the Consumer Science management team, you interact with senior-level stakeholders, the technical and scientific community and business unit leaders.

How you will contribute

The Senior Director Consumer Science Innovation is a highly strategic role and will manage the Global Consumer Science Innovation team with the primary function of driving consumer centric innovation consumer research programmes in Mondelez international. You ensure that multiple global Consumer Science innovation programs are delivered to the required standards, on time to meet Mondelēz International growth ambition and become the Global Leader in Snacking.

You will co-lead with marketing the cross category Innovation excellence teams to enable innovation in Mondelez.

You will be involved in decision making and change management and will coach, mentor and develop members of the global consumer science innovation team (currently 15 FTEs).

You will directly contribute to embedding a consumer-centric approach into the Consumer Science organization, and will frequently partner with category Consumer Science, regional and global R&D, Global Insights and Analytics and marketing leaders.

You will stay up to date on trends, external consumer and sensory research methods and identify and initiate new consumer research programs (relating to product, pack and claims). The role requires strong partnership with R&D, Insights and Analytics and marketing leaders to help identify strategic growth opportunities, conduct strategic business updates, make recommendations for program improvements across the Innovation Excellence eco system.

You will also develop annual and long-term budgets that include consideration of human and financial resources.

You will manage a team of consumer scientists and report to the VP Global Head of Consumer Science

What you will bring

A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career and the following experience and knowledge:

• Demonstrated knowledge of consumer science for product and pack innovation within R&D at a senior level with emphasis on the fast-moving consumer goods area

• Demonstrated knowledge of innovation practices and frameworks.

• Co-creation of consumer-centric innovation strategies to deliver business growth goals

• Uncovering new/partially met consumer needs and problems and playing a leadership role in delivering successful transformational innovation that unlocked discontinuous growth and value creation

• Leads iterative transactional learning experiments (multiple convergence/divergence steps), with responsibility for setting learning goals and success criteria

• Understanding of cultural change to enable corporate innovation vision and goals

• Co-led FEI initiatives that have deliver significant in-market value

• Practitioner of cutting edge consumer research techniques to understand and model consumer delight and value creation, eg concept/product/brand fit, trial and repeat, NPS, Bayesian Belief Networks, deprivation testing etc

• Experience managing risk including creating innovation pipeline/portfolio

• Thought leader knowledge of consumer and sensory research techniques for innovation

• Application of consumer and sensory research in a fast-moving consumer goods, client-side commercial environment

• Line management, leading teams and coaching and mentoring others

• Partnering with clients and stakeholders as individuals and teams and building relationships

• Using negotiation skills effectively to resolve conflict

• Communicating effectively, verbally and in writing, with good organizational development skills

• Maintaining a safe working environment for self and others

• Consumer science at a senior level with emphasis on the fast-moving consumer goods area

• Applying sensory and consumer research in a fast-moving consumer goods, client-side commercial environment

• Line management, leading teams and coaching and mentoring others

• Partnering with clients and stakeholders as individuals and teams and building relationships

• Using negotiation skills effectively to resolve conflict

• Communicating effectively, verbally and in writing, and good organizational development skills

• Maintaining a safe working environment for self and others

We require demonstration of these skills

• Problem Solving

• Critical Thinking

• Systems Thinking

• Visioning with persistence, tenaciousness and confidence.

• Being a completer/finisher.

More about this role

The Senior Director, Consumer Science Innovation is a highly strategic role and will manage the global Innovation Consumer Science function in Mondelez, with the primary function of driving consumer centric innovation for innovation programmes. The Senior Director, Innovation Consumer Science will ensure leading edge Innovation Practices and consumer understanding methods are fully adopted and leveraged in the product and pack development innovation process. The Senior Director Consumer Science Innovation will place a strong emphasis on innovating for consumers, understanding the consumer problem to solve, the desired consumer experience (DCE) and ideal product/pack models and working with R&D and the multifunctional teams to develop products and packs that deliver the DCE. Additionally, the Senior Director Innovation Consumer Science will be a strong people leader with drive and interest further developing talent in a broad global context with a strong ability to drive change through the organisation.

This position strengthens the ability for R&D to develop products that drive consumer delight and helps deliver against Mondelez International goals to be the global leader in snacking. You will be responsible for delivering superior consumer product design and shaping innovation pipelines

Key Requirements

• Leading, directing and motivating the Consumer Science Innovation organization which, in partnership with category consumer science, product development, consumer insights and marketing, develops consumer centric innovation.

• Partnering with Global Insights and Analytics to deliver novel consumer insights, consumer feedback and product/pack evaluation

• Helping the Consumer Science organization provide insightful consumer guidance into the product/pack development process enabling development of products and packs that provide delightful consumer experiences.

• Supporting of expanding of leading-edge Consumer Science capability

• Developing and utilizing consumer understanding tools to ensure the consumer guides upstream breakthrough research and innovation initiatives.

• Building upon an inclusive, diverse culture that enables development of world class Consumer & Sensory Science and R&D functional talent to drive superior product and pack experiences .

Key Characteristics

• Growth: Supporting and promoting business and function wide the drive for consumer-centricity in innovation.

• Operational: Being a trusted partner to the business and the R&D community in providing both operational and strategic leadership.

• Change Management: Delivering change and innovation including methodology shifts and ‘future proofing’ the function mid to long term.

• Strategic Talent Development: Development of people via coaching, training, and enriching roles and responsibilities.

What extra ingredients you will bring:

• A strong knowledge of innovation practices and consumer/sensory research tools and the application of those to innovation

Education / Certifications:

• BSc or PhD in science based discipline such as Food Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering

Job specific requirements:

• Have experience in leadership roles in R&D Consumer Science

• Have strong experience in Leading Innovation within R&D function

Travel requirements:

• Medium – dependant on budget

Relocation Support Available?

No Relocation support available

Business Unit Summary

We value our talented employees, and whenever possible strive to help one of our associates grow professionally before recruiting new talent to our open positions. If you think the open position you see is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Our people make all the difference in our succes

Mondelēz International is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Excited to grow your career?

We value our talented employees, and whenever possible strive to help one of our associates grow professionally before recruiting new talent to our open positions. If you think the open position you see is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

IF YOU REQUIRE SUPPORT TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION OR DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, PLEASE CONTACT THE RECRUITER

Job Type

Regular

Consumer Science

Science & Engineering

At Mondelēz International, our purpose is to empower people to snack right through offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. That means delivering a broader range of delicious, high-quality snacks that nourish life’s moments, made with sustainable ingredients and packaging that consumers can feel good about.

We have a rich portfolio of strong brands – both global and local. Including many household names such as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. We are proud to hold the number 1 position globally in biscuits, chocolate and candy as well as the No. 2 position in gum

Our 80,000 Makers and Bakers are located in our operations in more than 80 countries and are working to sell our products in over 150 countries around the world. They are energized for growth and critical to us living our purpose and values. We are a diverse community that can make things happen, and happen fast.

Join us and Make It An Opportunity!

Mondelez Global LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require accommodation to participate in the job application process may contact 847-943-5460 for assistance.