Head of Innovation Projects

About The Job

The CBU I(P)RO Leader strategically recommends the prioritization of the CBU Innovation (and productivity if applicable) pipeline of projects and proposes resource allocation priorities, working closely with CBU CODI and teams, governance forums and project teams.

• Leads the pipeline prioritisation process based on strategic criteria aligned with the key stakeholders involved
• Contributes to defining the Innovation and Productivity mandate for the CBU.
• Leads the resourcing exercise for the prioritized pipeline and proposes corrective actions when needed.
• Leads the implementation, maintenance, population of wed-based pipeline and project management systems and processes to manage the CBUs pipeline of Innovation and Productivity programs (and Artwork projects in One Flow if applicable).
• In addition, the I(P)RO leader is responsible for pipeline health check reporting, analysis and communication working closely with Finance and other CBU leaders. Ensures the prioritized pipeline is in line with the CBU strategic mandate and proposes corrective actions if needed. Ensures the pipeline delivers against the Innovation & Productivity mandate and recommends corrective actions when needed.
• The I(P)RO leader leads and facilitates the innovation (and productivity) governance in the CBU to enable fast and effective decision-making.
• The I(P)RO leader is responsible for ensuring that the Danone innovation process and Productivity process (if applicable) and governance led by the I(P)RO leader are adhered to by all teams involved in the CBU. If needed, the I(P)RO Leader is responsible for recommending corrective actions to the Common IRO Director in charge of the Danone innovation process, to the Artwork One Flow Director for the artwork process and to the Common Productivity Leader in charge for the productivity process if applicable.
• The CBU I(P)RO Leader oversees the seamless execution of all CBU prioritized projects (Innovation, productivity, Artwork if applicable) to deliver as per mandate, on time, on budget. To this end, the I(P)RO Leader directs, leads and develops a team of CBU project managers and activity managers (if applicable) who lead the commercialization process, ensuring all launch and business criteria/parameters are achieved on multiple projects simultaneously, including project scope, market timing, cost, quality, multiple stakeholder expectations, and other defined and undefined requirements.

Pipeline & Team Management

• Leads with minimal supervision, and is accountable for population, maintenance and data integrity of a web-based pipeline management system to manage innovation projects and productivity projects.
• Provides pipeline reports, dashboards, using the toolbox provided by the IRO Common
• Supports/Facilitates pipeline reviews at governance meetings (Country Innovation Meeting)
• Manages pipeline and project status/metrics reporting communication to business teams across the CBU.
• Ensures the pipeline management system is up to date and current with all program and projects related information (business case, stage gates, key milestones, MS Project timelines, risks, issues, etc.)
• Collaborates with CBU teams to collect and populate necessary information at each stage gate.
• Audits pipeline management system on a regular basis and takes appropriate actions to resolve issues and close gaps
• Tracks process metrics and project success criteria. Reports performance measures, collaborating with relevant functions.
• Ensures outcome of post-launch reviews are communicated.

Conducts or facilitates root cause investigations on pipeline performance, deviations, and identifies resolutions or corrective actions.

• Supervises and trains a team of Project Managers and Activity Managers
• Is the custodian of project management methods and animates CBU Project Managers and project teams to adopt the relevant methods for project management, leveraging the toolbox provided by the IRO Common
• Leads and animates the country innovation meeting), the productivity forum (if applicable) and interacts with global governance forums when applicable (SNU, EU zone) as per agreed approval rights.

Planning Leadership

• Ensures that project activities/timelines (MS Project) for multi-faceted projects are integrated. Prioritizes and resolves multiple, conflicting inputs or projects.
• Manages project communication to business teams, across the organization. Assesses and facilitates critical project decisions with business teams and/or sr. management to ensure project priorities are optimized.
• Manages project financial risk and contingency planning (COGs, CAPEX, etc.)
• Tracks project metrics and project success criteria. Reports performance measures. Ensures post-launch reviews are conducted.
• Leads, and is accountable for, as one process, the planning, evaluation and implementation of innovation, secure and booster projects.
• Assesses project requests from the CBU teams. Provides preliminary technical, logistical, cost, timeline, customer service, risk/benefit and other feasibility implications. Ensures launch success criteria are clearly defined and measured continually.
• Develops project implementation plans, including resource allocation, critical path timelines and risk/contingency options. Ensures project timelines include cross-functional input and decision points. Oversees and ensures alignment of critical workflows with the project plan.
• Leads multi-site, cross-functional commercialization implementation teams and oversees coordination/execution of activities. Manages project scope, cost, timing, and quality. Assesses impact of upstream business decision or technical changes/delays on downstream execution deliverables and resolves, proactively, the gaps between functional hand-offs.
• Ensures that all artworks for the CBU are implemented according to Danone OneFlow artwork process (where applicable) and delivered on time and on quality mandate.

About You

Required experience/ background

• Bachelor's degree, Master's degree a plus
• Minimum 7 years of project and pipeline management experience, experience in Topline or Finance a plus
• Computer skills, including demonstrated experience with electronic project management, resource management and document workflow tools
• Demonstrated experience in team leadership/facilitation, decision-making, process management, analytical skills, negotiating and conflict-management skills, risk management, and excellence in structured written and oral communication
• PMP Certification (should be a mandatory to commit to obtaining certification once in the role), agile project management certification is a plus

Industry and type of companies

• FMCG, PHARMA

Types of jobs

• PMO, Innovation Management in R&I, MKG or Operations, Supply Chain, Planning

Level at last job

• At least 7

About Us

We offer a job which could easily turn in to a career in Danone. We believe everyone is born with superpowers, something which comes naturally to you. We know this uniqueness is something which brings both excellence as well as energy, so we believe in all Danoners potential and when we build careers based on these superpowers and when we develop everyones potential to the fullest magic happens. This is how we like to see Talent Management in Danone.