Digital R&D Manager – LIMS & Data Management in Manchester

The Magnum Ice Cream Company (formerly a division of Unilever) is now a standalone, independent, EUR 7.9 billion publicly listed company. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company, where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded.

BUSINESS CONTEXT: Step into a pivotal role at The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC)—the world’s leading ice cream innovator, driving delight for millions with over a century of expertise. You will work for the Global leading Ice Cream player in a growing category where we are part of the 1 trillion snacking and refreshment industry, growing consistently at high pace.

Job Purpose: The key to our future innovation and the development of high-quality, innovative, and cost-effective ice cream products lies in our ability to innovate rapidly through the use of digital tools, with experimental and trials data serving as the foundation for building robust models and prediction tools.

To strengthen Ice Cream’s data foundation and use the Unilever separation as an opportunity to deploy advanced data capture solutions, we are looking for an experienced leader to drive the implementation of lab informatics tools and Pilot Plant Execution System, including LIMS, ELN, and MES equivalent solution, to manage all laboratory, pilot plant, and factory trial data. This role will ensure end-to-end data management, from inventory and batch making to measurement—with complete traceability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Digital Systems Implementation: Lead end-to-end project delivery and integration of new LIMS solution, ELN and MES equivalent solution across global RD&I labs and pilot plants.
• Manage the transition from legacy systems to the new solutions including data migration, design, training, deployment.
• Ensure seamless data integration to PLM, Datalake and Databricks platform.
• Oversee consultants and ensure project milestones and budgets are met.
• Data Governance & Traceability: Establish and standardise processes for end-to-end experimental data management, covering inventory, batch creation, measurements, and trial results.
• Define and track data quality KPIs and hold users accountable to close data gaps.
• Team Leadership: Manage and develop a team of business analysts and digital processing engineers.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with Global and Business Unit RD&I teams and supply chain factories to define business requirements and prioritise key data capture needs.
• Manage and coordinate stakeholders across business functions, keeping everyone informed and aligned.
• Provide regular project status reporting to senior management.
• Change Management & Adoption: Drive global adoption of LIMS, ELN, and MES equivalent solution through effective change management practices.
• Build and maintain a network of superuser champions to support deployment and user engagement worldwide.
• Technical Support & Training: Facilitate training and support for end users to ensure successful adoption.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor system performance and user feedback to identify areas for ongoing improvement and innovation.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Informatics, Computer Science, Systems Management or related field.
• FMCG or Food & Beverage industry experiences preferred.
• Strong Experience in digital transformation, data management, or IT systems implementation within R&D laboratory or manufacturing (Quality Control) environments.
• Must have experience implementing Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) at scale.
• Experience with MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is beneficial.
• Strong knowledge on R&D laboratory and manufacturing workflows in Food & Beverage industry.
• Strong understanding on data architecture, instrument/equipment integration, and data governance.
• Experience with cloud-based platforms (e.g., Azure) and datalakes, familiarity with Databricks is a plus.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, influencing senior leaders, and building networks of superusers/champions.
• Strong project management skills, including resource planning, timeline management, vendor coordination and risk mitigation.
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing external vendors/consultants for technology implementation.
• Excellent communication skills to work across global teams and business units.
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions and prioritise based on impact and feasibility.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

We take pleasure seriously. Join the Ice Cream team now!