Senior Project Manager - Product and Innovation

The Role

Innovation is a key pillar in our growth agenda and we have an exciting pipeline of new product launches planned, and this role will manage a portfolio of projects within that pipeline.  You will be working with key multifunctional stakeholders across the business to ensure that all projects are delivered on time, to cost and with high-quality standards.  You will be accountable for end-to-end project management; problem-solving to optimise timelines, identifying and communicating risks and managing through stage gate.

What you’ll be doing

• Managing a portfolio of projects for successful global launch, ensuring that all products are launched on time and meet financial and quality targets. 
• Creating and managing end-to-end project timelines based on ongoing multi-functional input.  The project portfolio includes Innovation/NPD launches, packaging design updates as well as smaller EPD and regulatory compliance projects.
• Collaborating with key functions including Innovation Marketing, Sales, R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory and Quality to ensure projects move at pace according to the required timelines.
• Using strong supply chain, product development and manufacturing knowledge to identify opportunities to optimise the overall project delivery and to identify and facilitate solutions to any identified risks and challenges.
• Ensuring full multi-functional visibility of critical paths and next steps and collaborating to drive on-time delivery of actions.
• Identifying risks related to operational activities and ensuring they are under-pinned by mitigation plans and clearly communicated to leadership.
• Managing projects through Stage Gate to enable effective decision making and risk-management.
• Ensuring market requirements, regulatory complexities and nuances are built into all plans and timelines.
• Leading multi-functional project meetings and facilitating any risk assessment meetings.
• Raising Change Controls and managing them to completion.

Requirements

We’d love you to have  

• Confidence to be able to hit the ground running and lead complex, high impact projects from the start.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to manage stakeholders across levels and functions.
• Extensive Experience in a project management role managing a portfolio of NPD & EPD Projects.
• Great leadership skills and ability to create a clear project plan from ambiguity as well as to manage uncertainty and change.
• Experience in FMCG, Food Supplements or a regulated category.
• Strong end-to-end project management skills from idea to post-launch evaluation.
• An agile and flexible mindset and approach – focused on finding solutions to challenges.
• A strong understanding of what it takes to create and launch new products including understanding operations and supply chain and the inter-connectivity of all different functions.
• A track-record of delivering projects through collaborative teamwork.
• A proactive approach and excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of managing projects through Stage Gate processes.
• Experience in managing projects for launch in multiple international markets preferred.
• Experience of managing projects with both internal and 3rd party supply chains preferred.

Benefits

 What’s On Offer

💫 Annual bonus

⛱️ 25 days holiday per year PLUS Christmas shut down - whoop!

❤️ A ‘Rescue Day’ each year to use how you need – A duvet day? A spa day? We’ve got you!

🌱 Free products and staff discounts to keep you healthy and happy

🎉 3pm Friday finishes ALL YEAR ROUND (if you have done your work, obvs!)

⏰ Hybrid and flexible working

😇 Paid days off to volunteer for some awesome charities

🚲 Cycle to work scheme

We also have regular socials plus all your standard stuff such as pensions, eye test vouchers and season ticket loans. We can tell you all about what is available to you when you start!

Nelsons is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. We are interested in every individual bringing their whole self to work and this includes you!