Innovation Manager (Experience in Confectionery Industry, CPG or FMCG) Mexico Scope

Position Title: Mexico Innovation Manager
Dept. / Function: Marketing
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco (Hybrid)
Advanced English required

Summary:
To identify, design, and deliver innovation strategies that unlock future growth for the business. The Senior Innovation Manager leverages consumer, shopper, and market insights to shape the innovation pipeline, working cross-functionally to translate unmet needs and category opportunities into breakthrough products, services, and business models that strengthen brand relevance and drive long-term competitiveness.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• 25% Innovation Strategy & Pipeline Building
• 20% Consumer & Market Insight Translation
• 30% Cross-Functional Leadership & Execution
• 15% Commercialization & Launch Impact
• 10% External & Future Focus

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:

• 1. Innovation Strategy & Pipeline
  
  • Define and manage the long-term innovation strategy in line with brand, category, and business priorities.
  • Build a robust pipeline of short-, mid-, and long-term innovation projects to fuel sustainable growth.
  • Identify white spaces, future growth platforms, and disruption opportunities beyond current product lines.

• 2. Consumer-Centric Growth
  
  • Translate consumer, shopper, and cultural insights into innovation opportunities.
  • Ensure all innovation is rooted in real human needs and market trends.
  • Anticipate future behaviors, lifestyles, and sustainability demands to future-proof the portfolio.

• 3. Portfolio & Category Development
  
  • Shape innovation platforms that expand the brand’s reach into new segments, channels, or categories.
  • Balance incremental innovation (line extensions, reformulations) with breakthrough, transformational ideas.
  • Partner with category and commercial teams to ensure innovations contribute to long-term category leadership.

• 4. Cross-Functional Leadership
  
  • Lead collaboration with R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales, and Marketing to bring innovations from concept to market.
  • Own the stage-gate / innovation funnel process, ensuring rigor, speed, and scalability.
  • Act as the connector between creativity (ideas) and execution (feasibility, profitability, and speed-to-market).

• 5. Commercial Impact
  
  • Build business cases for innovations, aligning with P&L, pricing, and channel strategies.
  • Partner with Finance and Sales to size opportunities and ensure strong launch ROI.
  • Drive post-launch evaluation and learning to continuously improve the innovation process.

• 6. External & Future Focus
  
  • Monitor competitor and category innovation activity, technology trends, and startup ecosystems.
  • Build partnerships with external agencies, startups, suppliers, and research partners to access new ideas and capabilities.
  • Champion sustainability, digital, and future-forward consumer trends within the innovation agenda.

• Key Skills & Competencies
  
  • Strategic vision: ability to link long-term brand and business growth to innovation platforms.
  • Consumer-centric mindset: passion for uncovering insights and translating them into opportunities.
  • Creativity & curiosity: ability to challenge norms, think disruptively, and explore new business models.
  • Commercial acumen: strong P&L, financial, and business case development skills.
  • Influence & leadership: skilled at leading cross-functional and global/local teams in a matrix organization.
  • Agility & execution: able to balance big-picture thinking with hands-on project deliver

Education: Bachelor

Experience: +7-10 years
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