Requisition ID: 58641
Position Type: FT Permanent
Workplace Arrangement:
About Kerry
Kerry Dairy Ireland is a dynamic, vertically integrated Dairy Business that spans various divisions, from Agribusiness (Kerry Dairy Farms) to Dairy & Nutritional Ingredients and Dairy Consumer Foods. With a rich dairy heritage and a commitment to sustainability, we proudly connect with over 3,000 farmers and milk suppliers. Our annual revenue exceeds €1.3bn, making us one of the world’s leading dairy businesses.
Our Dairy Consumer Foods division boasts some of the UK and Ireland's favorite Dairy & Plant-Based Brands, including Strings & Things, PURE Dairy-Free, Dairygold, Charleville, Golden Cow, Coleraine, Low Low, and Attack a Snak. We are also the largest supplier of Private Label Dairy spreads in the UK, serving all major retailers across the UK, Ireland, and parts of mainland Europe.
About the Role
As our Senior Innovation Manager, you will lead the charge in the end-to-end innovation process. Your mission? To identify consumer trends, develop exciting new product ideas, and bring winning innovations to market. Collaborating with insight, marketing, R&D, and category teams, you’ll build a robust innovation pipeline that drives growth and strengthens our brand position in the competitive dairy landscape.
You will take the reins on innovation for our drive brands, including the beloved kids’ brand Strings & Things and our market-leading Irish brands Dairygold and Charleville, both of which proudly hold the #1 spot in their categories in the Republic of Ireland. Your role will be pivotal in ensuring these brands remain innovative, relevant, and ready for the future.
Key Responsibilities
* Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify and evaluate emerging consumer needs, market gaps, technological advancements, and competitive activities within the UK dairy market.
* Idea Generation & Concept Development: Lead ideation sessions to generate a robust pipeline of innovative product and process concepts.
* Concept Validation & Feasibility: Collaborate with insight teams to design and execute research assessing consumer appeal and market potential of new concepts.
* Project Leadership & Management: Lead cross-functional project teams through all stages of the innovation process, ensuring timely delivery within budget and quality standards.
* Strategy Development & Execution: Develop and own the 3–5 year innovation pipeline aligned with brand strategy and business objectives.
* Continuous Improvement: Monitor performance of launched innovations and identify learnings for ongoing enhancement.
* Culture Building: Champion a culture of innovation, encouraging creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders including R&D, Marketing, Insight, Category, and Sales.
Qualifications and Skills
• Degree qualified
• 5+ years’ experience in Innovation or NPD roles within FMCG
• Curiosity & interest in consumer behavior and trends shaping the future of food
• Enterprising spirit with experience in identifying new revenue streams and launching new business models
• Commercial mindset with the ability to translate insights into growth opportunities
• Strong influence and ability to engage with all levels of the organization, including senior stakeholders
• Commitment to key behaviors: Think Bigger, Prioritize the Priorities & Make it Happen, aligned with our Kerry values.
Please note: We do not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies where Kerry terms of business have not been signed. Additionally, we will not consider or agree to payment of any recruiter fee under these circumstances. This also applies to CVs or candidate profiles sent directly to any Kerry Hiring Managers.
Beware of scams online or from individuals claiming to represent us. A Kerry employee will not solicit candidates through a non-Kerry email address or phone number. In addition, Kerry does not currently utilize video chat rooms (e.g., Google Hangouts) to conduct interviews. Refuse any request that asks you to provide payment to participate in the hiring process (e.g., purchasing a “starter kit,” investing in training, or something similar). Kerry will not ask you to pay any money at any point in the hiring process, except for reimbursable travel expenses. Any payments made by Kerry will be from official firm accounts bearing the Kerry name.
Recruiter: #LI-SB1
Posting Type: LI