Ice Cream Associate Innovation Planning Manager

The Magnum Ice Cream Company•Englewood Cliffs, NJ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As an Associate Innovation Planning Manager on the Ice Cream US team, you will be instrumental in the category’s ability to launch key innovations to market on time and in full. The Innovation Planner will act as the project manager and supply chain lead in processes that are executed in close cooperation with Marketing, R&D, Sales, Finance, Category Management and other Supply Chain Functional teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (Business, Supply chain, R&D, Engineering preferred)
5 years’ experience in Supply Chain (Project Management, Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering or Logistics) or in R&D with experience on new product development
Project management skills (working knowledge of MS Project, MS Office)
Basic appreciation level of how manufacturing works
Strong leadership and business partnering skills with the ability to influence decisions

Responsibilities

Manage the innovation project plans from Pre-Start/Kick-off, through to implementation and post launch evaluation. This is achieved through helping to scope the project, defining activities and timings required to ensure capability is in place, and then following up on these timings throughout the project
Manage the overall project networks, via MS project, coordinate inputs from all functions and hold individuals accountable for the delivery of their activities to ensure the project remains on time
Ensure that the Supply Chain has the necessary capacities and capabilities to produce the innovations for all assigned sourcing sites
Manage communication with all key project stakeholders and with global and regional innovation planners
Coordinate required inputs to the business case for the innovation projects in terms of capital expenditure and SCC drivers, working closely with the global Procurement, Finance, Planning and Engineering teams
Prepare all gate documents and decision papers as inputs into the Unilever Innovation Project Management process for all assigned innovation projects
Ensure delivered Quality for the innovations; maintaining Unilever safety standards
Own and maintain the overall project networks for new variants and new hardware projects, as required to ensure “on time in full” delivery; by working closely with R&D, Marketing, Finance, Procurement, T&E, Quality and factories
Co-lead risk assessments, and make sure action plans are embedded in the project timeline
Support complexity reduction activities and sourcing analysis for the innovation projects, by working closely with Strategic Planning and Finance
Lead meetings with cross-functional team members and drive decisions to achieve one common goal
Work with cross functional partners to develop timelines; understanding when key actions are needed and how the project team will navigate to successfully meet launch ambition
Work collaboratively with cross functional teams to overcome challenges and successfully deliver innovations to market
Influence team members to develop creative solutions when things go off-course, resulting in a different way to execute the project