Head of Innovation, Qunol

Head of Innovation

• Location: Pine Brook, NJ (Hybrid)

Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally.  

Our mission is to bring health in people’s hands by making self-care as simple as it should be. For half a billion consumers worldwide – and counting.

At the core of this mission is our 100 loved brands, our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and 4 specialized science and innovation development centers. Headquartered in France, Opella is the proud maker of many of the world’s most loved brands, including Allegra, Buscopan, Doliprane, Dulcolax, Enterogermina, Essentiale and Mucosolvan.

B Corp certified in multiple markets, we are active players in the journey towards healthier people and planet. Find out more about our mission at www.opella.com.

Qunol is a market leading CoQ10 and Turmeric supplement sold in most major retail stores like Costco, Walmart, CVS, Target, and more. Qunol’s patented formula’s offer superior absorption at a value compared to our competitors’ products. Learn more about us at: www.qunol.com

About the job

Are you ready to shape the future of Consumer Health? Your skills could be critical in helping our teams accelerate progress. Join our Innovation team as Qunol’s  where you will play a critical role in the company's long-term growth initiatives through product innovation strategies. This position will report to the Head of Marketing and is a key leadership role within the marketing department. The ideal candidate will be responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing innovative solutions that enhance our product offerings and create new business opportunities. This role requires a leader with a proven track record of establishing and executing value creation plans through brand innovation. 

Main responsibilities:

• Develop innovation strategy and build a long-term product pipeline that aligns with the brand’s positioning, architecture and growth objectives

• Build and validate strong consumer driven propositions, concepts and business cases; including pricing, packaging and launch scenarios

• Lead innovation projects through stage gate process from ideation to commercialization and partner with project manager to ensure timely and successful execution of projects.

• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and market opportunities to drive innovation and competitive advantage.

• Collaborate with internal cross functional partners, including marketing, research & development, sales and quality, to progress initiatives in order to effectively execute and launch in market.

• Effectively transfer to Marketing and Sales partners for commercialization

• Represent pipeline and projects in governance meetings and support Sales team with retailer engagements

• Manage the P&L development for new product launches, ensuring product innovation margins are in line with company objectives.

• Collaborate with sourcing, procurement, finance and science teams on evaluating and identifying desired solutions.

•  Monitor and evaluate the performance of innovation initiatives, using data and metrics to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.

About you

• Education: Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree is preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in innovation management, product development, or a related field, with a proven track record of success, preferably within VMS industry.

• Track record of successfully launching new product innovation in market

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey ideas.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and adapt to changing priorities.

• Excellent analytical skills and ability to interpret market data and trends.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Why us?

At Opella, you will enjoy doing challenging, purposeful work, empowered to develop consumer brands with passion and