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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the innovation process, from identifying trends to launching new products.
- Company: Join Kerry, a top global dairy business with a rich heritage and strong sustainability credentials.
- Benefits: Enjoy a permanent role with opportunities for growth and collaboration across teams.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team driving innovation in beloved brands like Dairygold and Strings & Things.
- Qualifications: Degree qualified with 5+ years in Innovation or NPD roles; a passion for consumer behaviour is key.
- Other info: Kerry values creativity and continuous improvement; no recruitment agency CVs accepted.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Kerry Dairy Ireland is a vertically integrated Dairy Business that encompasses a number of divisions spanning from its Agribusiness through to Dairy & Nutritional Ingredients & its Dairy Consumer Foods Business. With its strong Dairy heritage, world class sustainability credentials, a deep-rooted connection to its 3000 Farmers & milk suppliers, right through to its portfolio of household favourite Brands, Kerry Dairy are one of the World’s Leading Dairy Businesses, with a Revenue in excess of €1.3bn annually.
The Dairy Consumer Foods division is home to a number of the UK & Ireland's favourite Dairy & Plant Based Brands (Strings & Things; PURE Dairy-Free; Dairygold, Charleville, Golden Cow, Coleraine, Low Low & Attack a Snak). On top of this, we are the largest supplier of Private Label Dairy spreads in the UK & supply all major Retailers in the UK, Ireland as well as parts of mainland Europe.
As the Senior Innovation Manager, you will spearhead the end-to-end innovation process—identifying consumer trends, developing new product ideas, and delivering winning innovations to market. You’ll work cross-functionally with insight, marketing, R&D and category teams to build a robust innovation pipeline that drives growth and strengthens our brand position in the competitive dairy landscape. This role will be responsible for leading innovation across our drive brands, including the iconic kids’ brand Strings & Things, and our market-leading Irish brands Dairygold and Charleville, both of which are #1 in their categories in the Republic of Ireland. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring these brands remain innovative, relevant, and future-ready.
Key responsibilities:
- Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify and evaluate emerging consumer needs, market gaps, technological advancements, and competitive activities within the UK dairy market to uncover unmet needs and whitespace opportunities.
- Idea Generation & Concept Development: Lead and facilitate ideation sessions, leveraging insights and resources to generate a robust pipeline of innovative product and process concepts.
- Concept Validation & Feasibility: Collaborate closely with insight to design and execute research to assess consumer appeal and market potential of new concepts.
- Project Leadership & Management: Lead cross-functional project teams through all stages of the innovation process, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Oversee gate process, timelines, and cross-functional alignment.
- Strategy Development & Execution: Develop and own the 3–5 year innovation pipeline aligned with brand strategy and business objectives.
- Continuous Improvement: Monitor performance of launched innovations and identify learnings for continuous improvement.
- Culture Building: Champion a culture of innovation within the organisation, encouraging creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders including R&D, Marketing, Insight, Category and Sales.
Qualifications and skills:
- Degree qualified
- 5+ years’ experience in Innovation or NPD roles within FMCG
- Curiosity & interest in consumer behaviour, motivations & consumer trends that will shape the future of food.
- Enterprising spirit – experience of identifying new revenue streams, launching new business models, or brands.
- Commercial mindset - ability to translate insights into future / new business growth opportunities (experience of managing P&Ls and delivering brand-led business impact).
- Influence: Personal impact & ability to influence all levels of the organisation including Senior Stakeholders.
- Commitment to & demonstration of key behaviours: Think Bigger, Prioritize the Priorities & Make it Happen, underpinned by our Kerry values.
Senior Innovation Manager employer: jobwache
Contact Detail:
jobwache Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Innovation Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in the dairy industry, especially those related to innovation and consumer preferences. This knowledge will help you engage in meaningful conversations during interviews and demonstrate your passion for the sector.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the FMCG and dairy sectors. Attend industry events or join relevant online forums to connect with others who can provide insights or even refer you to opportunities at Kerry.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of successful innovation projects you've led in the past. Highlight your role in identifying market gaps and how your contributions drove growth, as this aligns closely with the responsibilities of the Senior Innovation Manager.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your ability to work cross-functionally by preparing examples of how you've collaborated with different teams in previous roles. This will demonstrate your capability to lead diverse project teams effectively, which is crucial for this position.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Innovation Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in innovation and NPD roles within FMCG. Emphasise your achievements in identifying consumer trends and launching successful products.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, demonstrate your curiosity about consumer behaviour and how it relates to the dairy market. Mention specific examples of how you've driven innovation in previous roles.
Showcase Your Project Management Skills: Detail your experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing projects from ideation to execution. Highlight any successful innovations you have delivered on time and within budget.
Demonstrate Your Commercial Mindset: Provide examples of how you've translated insights into business growth opportunities. Discuss your experience with P&L management and how it has impacted brand performance.
How to prepare for a job interview at jobwache
✨Understand the Company and Its Brands
Before your interview, take the time to research Kerry and its various brands. Familiarise yourself with their product lines, especially the Dairy Consumer Foods division. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your genuine interest in the company and its market position.
✨Showcase Your Innovation Experience
As a Senior Innovation Manager, your ability to lead innovation processes is crucial. Prepare specific examples from your past roles where you've successfully identified consumer trends, developed new products, or managed cross-functional teams. Highlight your achievements and how they align with Kerry's goals.
✨Demonstrate Your Commercial Mindset
Kerry values candidates who can translate insights into business growth opportunities. Be ready to discuss how you've managed P&Ls or contributed to brand-led business impacts in previous positions. This will show that you understand the commercial aspects of innovation.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement Questions
Given the collaborative nature of the role, expect questions about how you've built relationships with internal stakeholders in the past. Think of examples where you've influenced senior stakeholders or led cross-functional projects, as this will be key to your success at Kerry.
