Senior Innovation Project Manager

Role Description

Capgemini's Connected Marketing Operations team delivers frictionless, digitally augmented, data-driven marketing services that create agile connections and seamless customer experiences. Our next-generation digital marketing solutions leverage innovative technologies, insights, and data to maximize campaign effectiveness, strengthen digital strategies, and drive operational excellence across marketing organizations.

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Innovation Manager to lead end-to-end product and packaging innovation projects for a key Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) client. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing innovation initiatives from concept through launch within the CPG industry or a related sector.

Role Overview

The Senior Innovation Manager will oversee multiple product and packaging innovation projects from concept development to launch. This leadership role requires extensive project management expertise and the ability to successfully drive innovation initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

The successful candidate will ensure flawless execution of project deliverables, proactively address challenges, and maintain high standards of quality and efficiency. Strong experience in consumer packaged goods, packaging design, product innovation, and marketing is essential.

Key Responsibilities

Innovation Process Management

• Provide end-to-end project management support for product and packaging innovation projects.
• Manage projects through concept development, feasibility validation, R&D, business proposal creation, and approval stages.

Project Leadership

• Lead project kick-off meetings and facilitate stakeholder discussions.
• Ensure alignment on scope, objectives, timelines, and deliverables.

Stakeholder Communication

• Coordinate project discussions, including kick-off meetings, status updates, and lessons-learned sessions.
• Communicate key decisions, updates, and actions to all stakeholders.

Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

• Build strong relationships across cross-functional teams.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and process optimization.
• Monitor innovation projects and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Identify project risks, delays, and opportunities for acceleration.
• Track milestones, deliverables, and overall project progress.
• Ensure project documentation is accurate, complete, and up to date.
• Conduct lessons-learned reviews and implement improvements in future projects.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to Innovation Project Managers and Project Coordinators.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• MBA preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of Project Management experience within a CPG or FMCG environment.
• 5+ years of Product Innovation and Marketing experience.
• Demonstrated success managing innovation projects from concept to launch.
• Strong knowledge of product innovation, packaging innovation, and new product development processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.