Innovation Planning Associate Manager
About The Position
As an Associate Innovation Planning Manager on the Ice Cream US team, you will help ensure key innovations launch to market on time and in full. You will act as project manager and supply chain lead, working closely with Marketing, R&D, Sales, Finance, Category Management, and other Supply Chain teams. You will manage innovation projects from pre-start and kick-off through implementation and post-launch evaluation, ensuring project plans, stakeholder inputs, supply chain capacity, capabilities, quality, and safety requirements are in place. The role also supports business case development, project governance, risk management, complexity reduction, and sourcing analysis. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without current or future employer sponsorship. Employment eligibility will be verified during the hiring process.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree; Business, Supply Chain, R&D, or Engineering is preferred.
- Five years of experience in Supply Chain (Project Management, Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, or Logistics) or in R&D with experience in new product development.
- Strong leadership, project management, and business partnering skills, including the ability to influence decisions.
- Working knowledge of MS Project and MS Office.
- Basic appreciation of how manufacturing works.
- Legally authorized to work in the United States full-time without current or future employer sponsorship.
Responsibilities
- Manage innovation project plans from pre-start and kick-off through implementation and post-launch evaluation, including scoping projects, defining activities and timings, and tracking progress.
- Manage overall project networks using MS Project, coordinate functional inputs, and hold contributors accountable for their deliverables and timelines.
- Ensure Supply Chain has the capacity and capabilities to produce innovations at all assigned sourcing sites.
- Communicate with key project stakeholders and global and regional innovation planners.
- Coordinate inputs to innovation project business cases, including capital expenditure and SCC drivers, with global Procurement, Finance, Planning, and Engineering teams.
- Prepare gate documents and decision papers for assigned innovation projects as part of the Unilever Innovation Project Management process.
- Ensure innovations meet quality requirements and maintain Unilever safety standards.
- Own and maintain project networks for new variants and new hardware projects to support on-time, in-full delivery, collaborating with R&D, Marketing, Finance, Procurement, T&E, Quality, and factories.
- Co-lead risk assessments and ensure action plans are incorporated into project timelines.
- Support complexity reduction activities and sourcing analysis with Strategic Planning and Finance.
Benefits
- Market-competitive pay and performance-related rewards.
- Flexible ways of working.
- Support for health, wellbeing, and life outside of work.
- Time off to rest and recharge.
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
- Bonus eligibility.
- Health insurance, including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage.
- Retirement savings benefits.
- Life insurance and disability benefits.
- Parental leave and sick leave.
- Paid vacation and holidays.
- Access to voluntary benefits.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
