Senior Innovation Manager London - Shoreditch United Kingdom London - Shoreditch , United Kingd[...]

Patron; City of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global spirits company is seeking an Innovation Leader to develop and implement consumer-focused innovation strategies. The ideal candidate will have experience in project leadership, the ability to drive change, and a strong understanding of delivering successful innovations. Join us to unlock growth and enhance the consumer experience through creativity and collaboration.

Benefits

Competitive pay package

Flexible work arrangements

Access to e-learning platforms

Generous paid time off

Pension Plan

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in innovation leadership.
• Strong understanding of P&L and value chain.
• Ability to deliver results and simplify complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Drive consumer-centric innovation strategy.
• Manage innovation commercialization agenda.
• Support optimization of innovation frameworks.

Skills

Innovation Project Leadership

Relationship Building

Change Management

Strategic Thinking

Project Management

Consumer Focus

Digital Savvy

Job description

Innovation is a catalyst for growth. Companies that grow Innovation are 2x more likely to grow the total organisation. Innovation helps reimagine our brands to meet the ever-changing needs of our consumers and help future proof the legacy of Bacardi.

With Innovation a key enabler of realising our BEST10 & Beyond Strategy, you will help continue to embed and optimise the transformation of how Bacardi identifies, develops, commercialises and evaluates consumer-centric product innovation. You will support the organization in ensuring our Innovations unlock value not only for Bacardi but also for our Consumers and our Customers – The Triple Win.

ABOUT YOU

You are fearlessly curious with a restless passion for creating product experiences that delight consumers and a passion for unlocking growth for Bacardi and of its Primos.

You have a proven track of driving change and want to make Bacardi famous for innovations that unlock value for our consumers, our customers and Bacardi.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Igniting Growth and discipline Through a Consumer-Centric Innovation Strategy

• Partner with the Global Head of Innovation to embed the Innovation strategy, inspiring teams across the organization to unlock incremental growth grounded in consumer-centric opportunity spaces.
• Drive disciplined adherence to Bacardi’s Innovation guardrails, ensuring the business consistently delivers Fewer, Bigger, Better innovations

Building Bacardi’s Innovation Engine for Commercial Brilliance

• Drive the Innovation Commercialisation agenda amongst the innovation community (and beyond), focusing on pre-launch readiness e.g. strong business cases supported by compelling marketing and detailed commercial execution plans.
• Refresh and deliver best in class Innovation Commercialisation capability building and tools for Innovation Project Leaders and the wider Innovation community (including approvers), to ensure Bacardi Innovation Primos deliver better innovations that deliver value for Customers, Consumers and Bacardi.

Elevating Innovation Excellence Across Development, Launch & Execution

• Support the ongoing optimisations to Bacardi’s Innovation 6D framework and INNOVATOR (our innovation governance tool), to deliver high quality innovations (development, Commercialisation & launch) and disciplined decision making.
• Champion and embed disciplined Innovation through ensuring projects have consumer validated propositions, strong business cases, effective customer sell in, excellence in execution and rigorous M&E to learn and optimise.

Unlocking Innovation Potential Through Capability and Community

• Create and support the delivery of an Innovation training programme, as part of the wider Bacardi Way of Growth Marketing training agenda and as part of building our Innovation Capability muscle.
• Inspire and upskill the organisation through external inspiration and sharing of internal best practices and key learnings.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Innovation Project Leadership experience, with a comprehensive understanding of HOW to deliver Best in Class Innovations efficiently and profitably.
• Experience within Commercial or RGM functions beneficial. Strong grasp of the P&L and value chain
• Solid understanding of Innovation Commercialisation & what it takes to turn an Innovation Idea into a commercial success.
• Strong relationship building skills and proven ability of creating alignment within cross-functional teams and with stakeholders from a broad variety of markets and cultural backgrounds.
• Understanding of Change Management and what it takes to influence and embed change across an organisation. Proven ability to coach and mentor others to adopt best practices and raise their capabilities
• Strong strategic sense with ability to simplify the complex and turn possibilities into commercial reality; strong track record of delivering results.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Passion for the Consumer and ensuring the consumer is at the heart of decision making,
• Spirits or beverage alcohol experience helpful but not required
• Digitally savvy and an advocate for leveraging technology to drive productivity and efficiency. Passion and interest in AI

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Fearlessly curious
• Strong communicator and relationship builder
• Passionate about developing self and others (building capability)
• Structured and detail oriented
• Collaborative and approachable
• Practical problem solver who thrives on achieving strong results

Leadership Agility

At Bacardi we care deeply about finding brilliant talent who can bring the following personal attributes to help elevate our 3Fs: Fearless, Family, Founder culture to the next level.

• Belonging: You have a strong capacity to create a culture of ‘Belonging’, where people feel appreciated for who they are, what they do, and who they can become
• Self-Awareness: You have high levels of self-awareness, are reflective and know yourself well, understanding both your own strengths and weaknesses and your impact on others
• People Agility: You bring a deep ability to understand and relate to people and navigate through tough situations to harness and multiply collective performance
• Results Agility: You demonstrate consistent delivery of results in first-time situations by inspiring teams, exhibiting a presence that builds confidence in yourself and others.
• Mental Agility: You can think critically to penetrate complex problems and expand the possibilities by making fresh connections. You think strategically whilst being execution focused and bring creativity to the challenges you’re presented with
• Change Agility: You have a deep natural curiosity, desire to experiment and ability to effectively deal with the heat of change. You have a growth and learning mindset: ready to test, stumble, learn and apply from experience

Disclaimer: Bacardi seeks talent from all backgrounds to bring diversity of thought, agility and capability to our organization across the globe. We promote a working environment where all employees are treated and rewarded fairly. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination that adversely affects individuals or groups on the basis of national origin, race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, and any other legally protected aspect of a person's identity.

At Bacardi, we are committed to providing our Primos (employees) with a comprehensive Total Rewards package of compensation, benefits, incentives, allowances, well-being, and much more to meet the needs of themselves and their families. It goes beyond just Cash! The total rewards program is based on pay for performance, whereby the incentive programs are linked to company and individual performance.

Compensation, Paid Time Off & Retirement

• Competitive Pay Package
• Competitive Holiday/Paid Time Off, plus additional days offered ( i.e., volunteer day, allowing you to give back to the community)
• Retirement/Pension Plan
• Medical, Critical Illness, and Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Best-in-class, family-friendly, and inclusive leave policies

Additional Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements (depending on role/office/site location)
• Access to E-learning Platforms and Career Development programs
• Travel Discounts ( i.e., hotel and car rental)
• And much more!

The benefits /perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Bacardi, your work location, and are subject to change.

Some benefits may be subject to an employee contribution.

Some benefits may be fully or partially subsidized. Incentive plans are linked to the nature of your employment and can vary based on region, market, function or brand.

Be a Part of Our Culture

BE Fearless

We empower our teams to question, challenge and innovate.

This means adopting an agile mindset, being comfortable with trying new things and taking risks, without being reckless.

BEHAVE LIKE Family

We treat each other, and our communities, like family. Always.

We are all ‘Primos’ (Spanish for cousins) at Bacardi. Being part of the family gives you the support you need to be the best you can be.

The spirit of entrepreneurship is at the heart of everything we do.

Everyone at Bacardi sees this business as their own. We do the right thing for the business and take accountability for our work.

Life Inside Bacardi

Be Fearless, act like a Founder.

Follow our Primos on their journey to success. Where did they start and what’s it like to work for Bacardi? You too can be part of our story.

Bacardi is the world's largest privately-held international spirits company. We are a brand-led growth company with over 200 brands and labels. More than 8,000 people across the globe work toward a common purpose to Make Moments Matter. At Bacardi we are guided by our 3Fs culture of being Fearless, treating each other like Family, and having a Founders mentality. And have plenty of fun along the way!

You will hear us refer to each other as a “Primo” which means cousin in Spanish, and it´s our way to referring to employees. It´s also a reminder that we are a family-owned business with Latin heritage since 1862.

Primos are empowered to embrace diversity of thought and a global mindset to grow the Bacardi business and be future fit.

Leadership at Bacardi listen to Primos through pulse surveys, town halls, action team forums and development training sessions.

We get to enjoy social events, brand days, celebrate in trade with customers and have the opportunity to give back to the community through local initiatives like My Inspirit Day. We stand by doing the right thing and foster a culture of wellness and prioritizing Primo wellbeing through impactful resources and initiatives.

If this sounds like a culture you wish to join, check out our current opportunities.

How can I stay on top of the latest Bacardi news?

Our Global headquarters is based in Bermuda. Our Regional headquarters are Amsterdam for Europe & Latin America & the Caribbean; Dubai for Asia, Middle East & Africa and Coral Gables for North America. For Global Marketing, our teams are based in London, UK. In addition, we have offices, distilleries, production sites and brand homes around the world.

What careers are possible at Bacardi?

Our portfolio boasts more than 200 brands and labels and we sell in more than 160 markets. That global scale offers opportunities across functions and markets. From those who craft and produce our brands to those who market and sell them to everything in between.We also have opportunities across levels of experience from those who are starting their professional career (and are of local legal drinking age) to those who have decades of experience under their belt.

Does Bacardi run an Internship or Graduate program?

From time to time, we contract talent for specific functions and markets on a paid internship basis. We do not run a recurring global internship and rather allow markets and team to determine local needs and opportunities.

Does Bacardi offer training and development opportunities to grow your career?

We are there for the moments that matter in our Primos’ careers - the times they need to step outside of their comfort zone and grow. Whether that’s when they step through our doors as a new Primo, take on a new role, want to learn new skills and develop, or take that opportunity of a lifetime abroad to gain experiences across different cultures, functions, and markets.

We have world-class resources to support you every step of the way. From our Becoming Bacardi onboarding to global mentorship programs, mixology sessions, regular “lunch and learns” and coaching and development programs, there are many ways to expand your skills and opportunities. Learning never ends and that’s why we even continue development at the most senior levels with global programs at Harvard Business School and the University of Miami, among others.

Do I need to drink alcohol to work at Bacardi?

The simple answer is no candidates do not need to drink alcohol to be considered for a role. The Bacardi portfolio of products includes alcohol, low alcohol and no alcohol products. Bacardi promotes balanced, moderate drinking as part of a mindful lifestyle. The decision whether or not to drink alcohol is a personal one and we respect lifestyle choices.

What we value most is high performing talent with an ability to understand how to engage with our brand consumers and business partners.

We do, of course, only hire people who are of legal drinking age in their market.

Does Bacardi run an Internship or Graduate program?

From time to time, we contract talent for specific functions and markets on a paid internship basis. We do not run a recurring global internship and rather allow markets and team to determine local needs and opportunities.

What language should I submit my application in?

English is the official and primary language at Bacardi. Our Hiring Teams are located worldwide. Please submit your resume and other materials in English. Only consider using a local language for your application if the job positing specifies this request.

What are the stages of an interview process?

The first step is submitting your application which will be reviewed by our Hiring Team. Should your experience meet the qualifications and expectations of the open role, you will begin the interview process. Generally speaking, you can expect a few stages of conversations. The timing of the interview process will vary and our focus will be on ensuring that the key stakeholders get to know you and that you get to know us. You will be expected to do a face-to-face interview in person or over video call in some cases, at least once, during the hiring process.
Sometimes we do ask candidates for customer facing roles or more junior candidates to complete an automated online video interview. You will self-record answers to our automated questions and this will be reviewed by the Hiring Team.

For Management and Leadership roles we may request an additional assessment that takes a deeper dive into your potential leadership style.

If your hiring journey is successful, we'll make it official with a job offer letter and be ready to welcome you to the team.

How long does the interview process take?

The process will vary and usually depend on different factors such as the volume of applications received, seniority level of the role and stakeholder availability within the hiring team. Our recruiters are in-house and will be in touch as soon as possible to inform you of next steps. We appreciate your interest and patience.

Can I receive additional support or reasonable adjustments during the interview process?

We want everyone to enjoy their Bacardi interview experience and will consider requests for personal requirements (be that the interview environment or other adjustments). Please make your recruiter aware via email when invited for interview. We will do our best to accommodate your needs at each stage and make your experience a supportive one.

How do I know if a Bacardi job vacancy, email/DM communication or website is legitimate?

From time to time, fraudsters or scammers impersonate recruiters or Bacardi employees in an attempt to obtain personal information or money. These recruitment scams can show up as fake websites listing job opportunities designed to look like Bacardi, email communications, or direct messages via LinkedIn or Whatsapp/SMS. Watch out for poorly written messages and adverts that contain spelling errors or inconsistencies.

The URLs for the Bacardi Careers Site are https://bacardi.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/Jobs_Bacardi and www.jobs.bacardilimited.com . If you click a link that sends you to a page that looks like Bacardi but doesn’t start with this address, it’s not us! Please do not provide any personal details – we suggest you close this window tab. An email would be considered suspicious if the email address does not end in “@bacardi.com”

Bacardi never charges a candidate any monetary fee for the opportunity to be interviewed, or to secure visas or permits. Money is never exchanged during the hiring process.

Bacardi will never ask you for personal information over email, such as personal passwords, credit card or banking information, Social Security numbers or tax identification number.

If you've shared information with a potential scammer, report any suspicious communications by forwarding details and attaching any evidence via our Contact Form http://Contact.BacardiLimited.com with Topic “Reporting Suspicious Activity”. Our team will investigate and let you know if the email is legitimate.