The Marketing Innovation Manager plays a critical role in shaping the global innovation agenda for Alvalle, supporting its evolution from a locally established brand to a scalable international proposition within the Food Ventures portfolio.

This role is responsible for identifying growth opportunities, shaping the multi‑year innovation pipeline, and leading end‑to‑end innovation development—from front‑end ideation through feasibility assessment, business case creation, prototyping, testing, and ultimately multi‑market commercialization.

The position requires strong capability in design thinking, human‑centric insight interpretation, concept development, and cross‑functional orchestration. The Innovation Manager collaborates closely with R&D, Strategy, Business Developer, regulatory teams, and key markets to ensure innovations are desirable for consumers, viable in the market, and feasible for the business, ultimately strengthening the Alvalle brand and driving future revenue streams.

A. Innovation Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Build and maintain a multi‑year innovation roadmap aligned with the Alvalle brand strategy, category opportunities, consumer needs, and Food Ventures’ long‑term vision.
• Identify growth spaces through consumer insights, category trends, occasion mapping, and competitive intelligence.
• Prioritize innovation platforms based on opportunity size, strategic fit, technical feasibility, and market readiness.

B. Front‑End Innovation (Human‑Centric Ideation)

• Lead discovery workstreams to uncover unmet consumer needs through design thinking, qualitative research, concept co‑creation and empathy‑driven methods.
• Translate insights into compelling innovation territories, concepts, value propositions, and preliminary product definitions.
• Partner with the Brand Manager to ensure innovation aligns with brand guardrails, equity and meaning.

C. Product & Concept Development

• Oversee development of product concepts, prototypes, and early product iterations in partnership with R&D and technical teams.
• Define product briefs including sensory direction, nutritional guardrails, claims opportunities, and regulatory considerations.
• Coordinate consumer testing cycles (concept test, product test, positioning validation) to refine the proposition.

D. Business Case Creation & Feasibility Assessment

• Build robust business cases, integrating desirability (consumer), feasibility (manufacturing / coman, supply chain) and viability (financial modelling).
• Evaluate market impact, competitive set, and operational requirements.
• Provide go/no‑go recommendations based on integrated feasibility and risk assessment.

E. Cross‑Functional Program Leadership

• Lead cross‑functional squads (R&D, Supply Chain, Strategy, Markets) to progress innovations across internal stage‑gate processes.
• Ensure smooth transition from front‑end development to commercialization handoff.
• Coordinate alignment with key markets to validate local feasibility, regulatory constraints, and launch implications.

F. Packaging & Visual Identity Innovation

• Explore and pilot new packaging formats, structures, sustainability solutions, and pack claims aligned with brand identity and operational realities.
• Collaborate with the Brand Manager and agencies to ensure pack innovation supports brand distinctiveness and shopper conversion.

G. Market Deployment & Launch Readiness

• Support anchor markets and expansion markets on commercialization planning, including launch readiness checklists, messaging guidelines, and early adoption toolkits.
• Track innovation performance during early markets, gather feedback, and adjust future iterations accordingly.

Key KPIs / Deliverables

• Clarity, relevance, and robustness of the multi‑year innovation pipeline.
• Identification and validation of consumer‑backed opportunities.
• Quality and speed of concept development and iteration loops.
• Strength and completeness of business cases and feasibility assessments.
• Cross‑functional alignment and on‑time progression through stage‑gate milestones.
• Success of pilot launches and early market performance indicators.
• Integration between innovation outputs and brand foundations.
• Internal stakeholder satisfaction and adoption of innovation frameworks.

Functional Capabilities

• Strong human‑centric innovation skills: insight mining, design thinking, consumer empathy, and needs‑based segmentation.
• Experience with concept development, prototyping, product testing, and innovation methodologies.
• Solid understanding of food & beverage product development cycles, with ability to work closely with R&D and Supply Chain.
• Financial literacy to build and evaluate business cases (pricing, margins, COGS, investment, volume modelling).
• Packaging innovation literacy, including structure, sustainability, and claim development.
• Ability to interpret consumer research tools (U&A, concept test, product test, sensory analysis).

Leadership & Behavioral Competencies

• Strong project leadership and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Curiosity, creativity, and ability to challenge assumptions.
• Structured thinking with strong problem‑solving orientation.
• High ownership and autonomy in driving workstreams.
• Excellent communication and storytelling, especially translating technical content into clear business implications.
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and evolving contexts.

Experience & Education Requirements

• 4–7 years of experience in:
• Innovation / NPD,
• Brand Management (with innovation focus),
• R&D marketing interface roles,
• Consumer insight–led innovation roles.
• FMCG experience required; food & beverage strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in concept testing, product development or innovation stage‑gate environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Design Thinking or similar fields.
• Fluency in English required; additional languages are a plus.

Scope & Interaction

• Global scope with deployment across Europe and other selected markets.
• Reports to Alvalle Marketing Lead, with dotted line to GM Alvalle – Food Ventures.
• Close interaction with R&D, Supply Chain, BD, Strategy, Brand Manager, Regulatory, Finance, and local market teams.
• Operates without direct people management but influences multiple senior stakeholders and decision points.