Head of Innovation Commercialisation

Job Title: Head of Innovation Commercialisation IOI [Island Of Ireland]  

Location: Dublin

About the role  

Innovation is a critical part of the Diageo business and plays a key role in brand building, driving brand equity, recruiting new consumers in new occasions as well as supporting premiumisation and building the ‘triple win’.

Playing a key role in our Marketing Leadership Team, this role will craft the future brand portfolio for IOI, defining the Innovation Pipeline and strategy to deliver 20% contribution to the IOI P&L growth by F27!

About you  

Are you a bold and innovative leader who thrives in setting a brave ambition and who enjoys working cross-functionally to deliver exciting and breakthrough innovations?

• 8+ years of relevant marketing experience – delivery in Consumer or Customer Marketing leadership roles.  
• Outstanding ability to build and maintain genuine relationships
• Successful management of senior partners at all levels, resulting in strong and positive outcomes. 
• Creative problem solver   
• Holistic abilities across all marketing pillars as well as a track record of leading ground-breaking business results. 
• Ability to excel when navigating ambiguity, complexity and working within a fast-paced and matrixed environment. 
• Strong end to end commercial FMCG understanding, alongside high levels of numerical capability and attention to detail. 
• Experience of leading a team, whether directly or indirectly. 

In this role you will: ​

• Shape the future of the Innovation strategy and lead the execution and implementation through the deep understanding of customer needs, using these insights to lead and develop projects  
• Drive the Innovation gate process in IOI by leading key projects with the cross-functional teams, facilitating, and adhering to the scope required & aligning key collaborators to drive brilliant business outcomes for Innovation projects and the pipeline.  
• Develop and nurture relationships with key Stakeholders in the Market, all functions, Europe Innovation and Supply, (Beer and European Spirits, Brand Change Teams)    
• Partnering with the European innovation team to deliver the pipeline, working with them to bring the innovations successfully to market.  
• Work in conjunction with the marketing team to bring projects to Gate approval ensuring robust science-based validation has taken place in market to enable approval of pack, concept and size of prize.  ​​
• Working with teams across Brand, Activation and RGM to lead best in class launches, champion and lead exit plans where required, drive interventions when needed and always ensure we deliver our Annual Operating Plan.
• Collaborate with commercial and brand teams to set clear launch objectives  owning the review and course correction where needed for each and every launch.
• Lead the performance review in all internal BPM sessions, as well as with cross functional teams to build the Innovation growth code and growth drivers to support IOI launch.  
• Monitor execution for Innovation ensuring prioritisation across IOI channels & customers to deliver the biggest impact in market working closely with consumer and shopper planning to develop key learning pl