At a Glance
- Tasks: Support innovative product launches and track their performance across EMEA markets.
- Company: Join Monster Energy's dynamic Commercial Strategy & Development team.
- Benefits: Gain exposure to innovation in a fast-paced FMCG environment with career growth opportunities.
- Other info: Work closely with high-profile teams and shape the future of Monster's product portfolio.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of exciting product innovations and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in category, commercial planning, or insights; data-savvy and collaborative.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Monster Energy are continuing to grow their Commercial Strategy & Development team and are looking for an Innovation Project Executive to join their Innovation and Portfolio Optimisation function. This is a newly created role supporting a huge innovation agenda across EMEA, with around 200 product launches taking place every year. Working across multiple markets, you’ll sit right at the commercial end of innovation – helping shape what comes next, supporting how new products are taken to market and tracking how they perform once they get there. It’s a great opportunity for someone currently working in category, commercial planning, trade marketing, account management or insights who wants broader exposure to innovation and NPD within a fast-moving international FMCG business.
The role involves working closely with the Innovation Commercialisation Manager and VP of Strategic Innovation & Portfolio Optimisation across three key areas:
- NPD Planning: You’ll support the development of Monster’s future 1–3 year innovation pipeline, using category, consumer and market insight to identify opportunities across new flavours, formats and platforms. You’ll also support key innovation and portfolio meetings, bringing together the insight, data and commercial information needed to make informed decisions around future launches.
- You’ll collate and maintain country launch plans, develop sales decks and launch materials, and help build strong customer propositions that clearly communicate the category opportunity, shopper relevance and commercial story behind new products.
- You’ll also take ownership of maintaining a central launch hub, ensuring teams across the region have access to the latest launch plans, imagery, product information and supporting materials.
- Once products are in market, you’ll help understand exactly how they’re performing. You’ll own the monthly NPD performance review, analysing performance using internal and external market data and turning this into clear updates for the wider business.
- You’ll capture learnings across markets – including distribution, rate of sale, customer feedback and execution – and help feed those insights back into future NPD planning and portfolio decisions.
What are they looking for? This role needs someone who understands the pace and complexity of FMCG and is comfortable working with both commercial teams and data. Your background could come from:
- Category / Category Development
- Commercial Planning
- Trade Marketing
- National Accounts / Account Management
- Commercial or Category Insights
You don't necessarily need to have worked directly within an innovation team before. More important is an understanding of the FMCG commercial environment, confidence working with category and performance data, and the ability to turn insight into something commercially meaningful. You’ll be joining a small, high-profile team with visibility across the wider EMEA business and exposure to the full innovation journey – future pipeline planning, category insight, commercialisation, launch execution, performance tracking and portfolio optimisation. For someone looking to move from a category, commercial or account-focused role into the world of innovation, there’s a lot of scope to make this role your own.
Innovation Project Executive employer: Advocate Group
Advocate Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and supportive work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As an Italian-Speaking National Account Manager, you will benefit from excellent career development opportunities while working in a hybrid role that allows for flexibility. Located in a vibrant market, the company prioritises employee growth and provides a platform for meaningful contributions to the success of the Amazon account.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Innovation Project Executive
✨Leverage Innovation Hubs
Tap into local innovation hubs and research centres. These places often host events and workshops where you can meet like-minded people and industry leaders. Plus, they might have job openings that aren't widely advertised, so keep your ears open!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Turn your past innovation projects into compelling stories. Create a portfolio showcasing your creativity and problem-solving skills. This can give hiring managers a real flavour of what you can bring to the table at companies like Advocate Group.
✨Connect at Industry Conferences
Make it a point to attend industry conferences and seminars focused on R&D and innovation management. These events are fantastic for networking and often have job boards or career fairs where you can connect directly with firms looking for talent.
✨Use Your University’s Resources
If you're fresh out of university, don't forget to tap into your institution's career services. They often have exclusive partnerships with companies seeking new talent in R&D, especially for full-time roles. It's a good shortcut to landing a gig at places like Advocate Group.
We think you need these skills to ace Innovation Project Executive
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Creative Thinking:In innovation and R&D management, it's all about thinking outside the box. Make sure your CV highlights any projects or experiences that showcase your creative problem-solving skills. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've developed and implemented innovative ideas in previous roles.
Tailor Your Experience to R&D:When you're crafting your CV, focus on your experience in research and development. Highlight any relevant projects you've worked on, including methodologies used and results achieved. This will show us at Advocate Group that you understand the R&D process and can contribute meaningfully to our projects.
Let Your Passion Shine in the Cover Letter:For a full-time role like this, your cover letter should reflect your genuine passion for innovation and development. Share your excitement about the opportunity to work at Advocate Group and touch on how your goals align with our mission. This helps us see your motivation for wanting to join our team!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers speak volumes in R&D! Whenever possible, quantify your achievements in your CV. Whether it’s a percentage improvement in project outcomes, the budget size you’ve managed, or the number of successful products you've launched, these figures will help paint a clearer picture of your impact and capabilities.
How to prepare for a job interview at Advocate Group
✨Show Off Your Innovative Thinking
In an Innovation R&D Management role at Advocate Group, they're going to want to see how you approach problem-solving. Be ready to discuss previous projects where you introduced a new idea or process. Highlight your ability to think outside the box and provide examples where your innovations drove significant results.
✨Familiarity with Tools and Technologies
Make sure you're clued up on the latest tools and technologies related to innovation management, such as project management software and data analysis platforms. Being able to discuss specific tools you’ve used or have experience with will show Advocate Group that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration Skills
Since this is a full-time gig, emphasising your teamwork skills will be essential. In innovation, collaboration often sparks the best ideas, so be ready to talk about how you've worked effectively within cross-functional teams in your past roles. Have concrete examples at the ready!
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions in your interview that reflect real challenges you might face in the role. £At Advocate Group, they might want to see how you handle tight deadlines or manage conflicting ideas within a team. Prepare some responses that demonstrate your critical thinking and decisiveness in high-pressure situations.
