Processing Program and Portfolio Lead

Bayer•Bergschenhoek, MH,IN

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join our team at Vegetable Seed Production Innovation unit as a Program Manager, where you will own and steer an integrated portfolio of applied research, readiness, and innovation initiatives for our VSPS Seed Processing units. In this pivotal role, you will be at the heart of translating strategic business needs into prioritized programs, ensuring that technical execution teams are perfectly aligned with the overarching business priorities. Your influence will extend across a global landscape, encompassing multi-crop and multi-site operations along with quality testing labs. As you navigate this complex environment, you will face the challenge of balancing competing priorities, constraints, and stakeholders. This complexity will require not only your expertise but also your ability to think critically and creatively. You will enjoy a high level of autonomy, operating with a broad mandate that empowers you to align execution with desired business outcomes. Your leadership will guide the way, making a tangible impact on our seed processing initiatives and driving innovation forward. In this role, you will support broader SPI in building a prioritized and balanced program and project portfolio that serves as the foundation of our initiatives. You’ll establish clear program objectives, milestones, and success metrics, forming a roadmap that guides the entire team toward shared goals.

Requirements

Ability to travel globally up to 15%.
Fluent in English.
10+ years in portfolio & program management, business translation & outcome definition, and cross-functional stakeholder management. Ideally in seed production and product supply.
Ability to translate strategic priorities into executable programs.
Solid understanding of product supply, production, processing, and applied innovation contexts.
Expertise in prioritization & trade-off decision-making, resource & budget planning (OPEX/CAPEX), and delivery governance & readiness oversight.

Nice To Haves

Background in agriculture, seed production, or similar industries is a strong advantage.

Responsibilities

Translate business priorities and operational needs into clear program objectives, outcomes, and success metrics.
Own and manage a diverse portfolio of cross-functional projects focused on applied research, innovation, and readiness to achieve defined business outcomes for seed production and processing.
Drive and support the prioritization, sequencing, and resource allocation of initiatives across multiple technical teams and disciplines.
Serve as the primary point of contact, ensuring alignment between VSPS Processing units, working teams (inside and outside SPI), and operational functions.
Guide projects through the full lifecycle from concept and prioritization to validation, deployment preparation, and implementation.
Provide oversight on progress, risks, dependencies, and return on investment at the portfolio level.
Foster effective collaboration across research, within broader SPI, as well as PS, including for example engineering, quality, production, and processing functions to remove barriers to execution.
Assist in annual budget and resource planning for programs within scope (OPEX/CAPEX).
Ensure programs adhere to relevant quality, safety, and governance frameworks.