Welcome to Haleon. We're a purpose-driven, world-class consumer company putting everyday health in the hands of millions. In just three years since our launch, we've grown, evolved and are now entering an exciting new chapter – one filled with bold ambitions and enormous opportunity.
Our trusted portfolio of brands – including Sensodyne, Panadol, Advil, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, and Centrum – lead in resilient and growing categories. What sets us apart is our unique blend of deep human understanding and trusted science.
Now it's time to fully realise the full potential of our business and our people. We do this through our Win as One strategy. It puts our purpose – to deliver better everyday health with humanity – at the heart of everything we do. It unites us, inspires us, and challenges us to be better every day, driven by our agile, performance-focused culture.
About The Role
We are seeking an exceptional Global Head of R&D Wellness Category to lead end‑to‑end innovation, portfolio protection, and capability building across a strategically critical global business. This is a senior enterprise leadership role with full accountability for driving innovation‑led growth while ensuring the ongoing strength, compliance, and competitiveness of the existing portfolio.
Operating at the intersection of science, consumer insight, and commercial strategy, this leader will bring urgency, ambition, and creativity to deliver noticeable and meaningful consumer benefits at scale. The role is a key member of both the Wellness Category Leadership Team and the Global R&D Leadership Team, partnering extensively across the enterprise to deliver long‑term value.
Responsibilities
Consumer‑led innovation
Lead a consumer‑first innovation agenda by identifying, tracking, and acting on global and local insights, trends, and unmet needs.
Translate health, wellness, and lifestyle trends into compelling product concepts, claims, and propositions that drive meaningful superiority for consumers.
Innovation pipeline leadership
Create and own the global, multi‑horizon innovation pipeline and associated technology platforms for Wellness.
Partner closely with commercial teams to deliver bigger, bolder, and faster innovation with flawless execution into markets.
Enable external innovation through partnerships, collaborations, and alternative innovation models.
Build capability and talent for growth.
Product and execution excellence
Deliver end‑to‑end product superiority across concepts, formulations, packaging, claims, visualization, and execution.
Actively manage and strengthen the intellectual property portfolio to create sustainable competitive advantage.
Breakthrough science and capability building
Create new categories, forms, and benefits across Wellness, and adjacent health areas.
Advance innovation in emerging science (e.g. actives, delivery systems, usage occasions).
Build scalable formulation and packaging architectures that enable late‑stage local differentiation.
Business partnership and portfolio protection
Act as the senior R&D partner to commercial, quality, supply chain, finance, and other enterprise functions.
Lead R&D input into key business decisions and technical readiness forums.
Protect existing revenue through regulatory excellence, proactive ingredient management, and adherence to quality, safety, environmental, and sustainability standards.
Operational and talent excellence
Lead strategic resource planning and investment to support category ambitions and R&D productivity.
Drive operational excellence, delivery of KPIs, and strong in‑year execution.
Build, mentor, and inspire a high‑performing, diverse, and inclusive global R&D organisation.
What You'll Bring
Basic Qualifications:
We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:
Master's degree in life science or Engineering – advanced scientific or technical degree preferred (i.e. PhD)
15+ years' experience in R&D leadership within life sciences, consumer health, or related industries
Experience within Wellness, or adjacent health categories
Strong technical background with deep understanding of innovation, development, and regulatory pathways
Consumer‑centric, commercially astute, and science‑driven
Inspires collaboration, creativity, and accountability
Proven track record of delivering breakthrough products and building robust innovation pipelines
Established external network across academia, industry partners, CDMOs, and innovation ecosystems preferred
Experience leading large, senior, multidisciplinary global teams (typically 8+ senior professionals)
Enterprise‑level leader with the ability to influence across complex, global organisations.
Passionate about talent development, inclusion, and building future‑ready capabilities.
Strong financial acumen and ability to assess feasibility, margins, and return on innovation investment
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When applying for this role, please use the 'cover letter' of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.
Why Haleon
Our Win as One Framework is a simple, stretching definition of our future direction. It includes our purpose, ambitions, strategic drivers, and behaviours that will enable us to Win as One. This framework guides our decision-making, strategy, and culture. The successful candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities:
Consumer first, always: Engage key business counterparts and operational stakeholders to deliver operational execution of Haleon strategies related to eCommerce activities, always putting the consumer first.
Collaborate for impact: Establish and maintain relationships with critical groups to ensure customer knowledge is utilized to inform and deliver on the eCommerce roadmap, collaborating for impact.
Unlock value, at pace: Drive business process improvement throughout the commercial and operational support teams, unlocking value at pace.
Grow myself and others: Continuously look for opportunities to learn, build skills, and share learning, growing myself and others.
Benefits
Haleon offers a robust Total Reward package that consists of competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits program. This includes a generous 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement and time off programs including 6 months paid parental leave. On day one, you are eligible for benefits, including our healthcare programs where the company pays for the majority of your medical coverage for you and your family. We also offer the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on the achievement of key business performance and other incentive/recognition programs as part of the offering.
Job Posting End Date
Equal Opportunities
Haleon are committed to mobilising our purpose in a way that represents the diverse consumers and communities who rely on our brands every day. It guides us in creating an inclusive culture, where different backgrounds and views are valued and respected – all in support of understanding and best serving the needs of our consumers and unleashing the full potential of our people. It's important to us that Haleon is a place where all our employees feel they truly belong.
During the application process, we may ask you to share some personal information, which is entirely voluntary. This information ensures we meet certain regulatory and reporting obligations and supports the development, refinement, and execution of our inclusion and belonging programmes that are open to all Haleon employees.
The personal information you provide will be kept confidential, used only for legitimate business purposes, and will never be used in making any employment decisions, including hiring decisions.
Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, Haleon may be required to capture and report expenses Haleon incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure Haleon's compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements.
Accommodation Requests
If you require a reasonable accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at Haleon at any stage of the application process, please contact us by sending an email to HR.AmericasSC- Please include the following in your email:
Use subject line: 'Haleon Careers: Job Accommodation Request'
Your Name and contact information
Requisition ID and Job Title you are interested in
Location of Requisition (city/state or province/country)
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Please note: Resumes, CVs, or other requests outside of accommodation support submitted to this email box will not be accepted.
Note to candidates
The Haleon recruitment team will contact you using a Haleon email account ). If you are not sure whether the email you received is from Haleon, please get in touch.