Innovation Planning Associate Manager

Life tastes better with ice cream

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.

We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference.

We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done.

We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis without the need for current or future employer sponsorship. Employment eligibility will be verified as part of the hiring process.

As an Associate Innovation Planning Manager on the Ice Cream US team, you will be instrumental in the category’s ability to launch key innovations to market on time and in full. The Innovation Planner will act as the project manager and supply chain lead in processes that are executed in close cooperation with Marketing, R&D, Sales, Finance, Category Management and other Supply Chain Functional teams.

• Manage the innovation project plans from Pre-Start/Kick-off, through to implementation and post launch evaluation. This is achieved through helping to scope the project, defining activities and timings required to ensure capability is in place, and then following up on these timings throughout the project
• Manage the overall project networks, via MS project, coordinate inputs from all functions and hold individuals accountable for the delivery of their activities to ensure the project remains on time
• Ensure that the Supply Chain has the necessary capacities and capabilities to produce the innovations for all assigned sourcing sites
• Manage communication with all key project stakeholders and with global and regional innovation planners
• Coordinate required inputs to the business case for the innovation projects in terms of capital expenditure and SCC drivers, working closely with the global Procurement, Finance, Planning and Engineering teams
• Prepare all gate documents and decision papers as inputs into the Unilever Innovation Project Management process for all assigned innovation projects
• Ensure delivered Quality for the innovations; maintaining Unilever safety standards
• Own and maintain the overall project networks for new variants and new hardware projects, as required to ensure “on time in full” delivery; by working closely with R&D, Marketing, Finance, Procurement, T&E, Quality and factories
• Co-lead risk assessments, and make sure action plans are embedded in the project timeline
• Support complexity reduction activities and sourcing analysis for the innovation projects, by working closely with Strategic Planning and Finance

• Has a Bachelor’s Degree (Business, Supply Chain, R&D, or Engineering preferred)
• Has 5 years’ experience in Supply Chain (Project Management, Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering or Logistics) or in R&D with experience on new product development
• Brings strong skills in Leadership, Project Management (working knowledge of MS Project, MS Office), and Business Partnering with the ability to influence decisions
• Has a basic appreciation level of how…