About the Role
Are you a strategic thinker with a proven record of delivering high:impact innovation projects? We seeking a Senior Innovation and Portfolio Manager to lead our global innovation pipeline, driving projects from concept to launch while influencing senior leadership decisions. In this high:profile role, you will align cross:functional teams, optimise portfolio performance, and ensure that every innovation delivers maximum commercial value.
This role will require a commercially astute and strategically minded Senior Innovation and Portfolio Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering a high:impact innovation pipeline within a leading international organisation operating in the consumer goods / healthcare sector.
This is a highly visible position, acting as a trusted partner to senior leadership. You will drive cross:functional alignment, enhance decision:making quality, and ensure that innovation projects deliver maximum commercial value through a disciplined stage:gate process.
Key Responsibilities
Innovation Delivery and Strategic Direction
Lead the planning and execution of innovation projects from concept through to launch, ensuring delivery on time and within budget. Provide data:led insights, scenario analysis, and recommendations to shape project prioritisation and strategic direction. Influence senior stakeholders to ensure decisions align with consumer needs, commercial objectives, and long:term business strategy. Promote a structured, disciplined approach to decision:making across the innovation lifecycle.
Cross:Functional Leadership
Lead and coordinate cross:functional teams across R and D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance. Establish clear objectives, success measures, and accountability across project teams. Drive delivery of key milestones, proactively managing risks and resolving challenges. Foster strong collaboration and alignment across all stakeholders.
Risk and Opportunity Management
Identify, assess, and communicate key risks and opportunities within the portfolio. Provide clear, concise insight into critical path issues, resource constraints, and sensitivities within business cases. Anticipate future challenges and implement early mitigation strategies.
Portfolio Governance and Decision Support
Maintain high:quality portfolio data to support visibility, governance, and prioritisation. Deliver executive:level reporting and recommendations to support investment and portfolio decisions. Challenge assumptions within business cases to ensure commercial, financial, and technical robustness.
About You
You will bring a blend of strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and strong project leadership experience, ideally gained within FMCG, consumer healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or a related sector.
Key skills and experience include:
Strong understanding of market dynamics, consumer behaviour, and competitive landscapes Proven experience in strategic project or portfolio management (e.g. PRINCE2, PMP or equivalent) Financial acumen, with the ability to evaluate business cases and model scenarios Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience engaging senior stakeholders Experience working within a stage:gate or structured innovation framework Ability to lead and inspire cross:functional teams in a fast:paced environment
What Success Looks Like
Delivery of high:value innovation projects aligned to business strategy Improved speed to market and efficiency across the innovation pipeline High:quality, insight:driven decision:making at portfolio level Recognition as a trusted advisor and key influencer within the organisation
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to take on a strategic, high:impact role within a dynamic and growing business, where you will directly influence innovation outcomes and shape future growth.