Position title: innovation specialist (especialista de desarrollo innovación)(analista de innovación y desarrollo)(coordinador de innovación y desarrollo)
location: guadalajara, jalisco (providencia office)
language: advanced english
summary
the innovation specialist is a key driver in shaping the future of our portfolio. This role is responsible for supporting the development of a robust innovation strategy and pipeline, ensuring that every project transitions seamlessly from a creative concept to a successful market reality. You will bridge the gap between visionary thinking and disciplined execution, managing the end-to-end lifecycle of new initiatives.
core responsibilities
strategic execution: drive the annual innovation plan by managing a diverse project portfolio, ensuring all initiatives meet or exceed established kpis.
end-to-end development: lead new initiatives through the full stage-gate process, overseeing the journey from initial ideation and prototyping to full-scale commercialization.
market intelligence: maintain a 360-degree view of the business landscape, synthesizing internal and external trends, competitive moves, and brand equity to identify high-growth opportunities.
data-driven decision making: utilize advanced analytical skills to transform complex data into actionable insights, refining the product mix and optimizing the marketing strategy.
major duties/responsibilities
50%
innovation stage gate process management
end-to-end governance: lead project development through the stage-gate pipeline, ensuring rigorous adherence to timelines and quality standards.
strategic alignment: prioritize initiatives to ensure total consistency with the innovation strategy and overarching business goals (e.g., speed-to-market and financial kpis).
resource planning: forecast and plan requirements for each stage of the pipeline to ensure adequate depth and resource allocation to meet objectives.
cross-functional leadership: serve as the "project champion," orchestrating activities across r&d, supply chain, sales, and finance to ensure seamless delivery.
financial stewardship: own the financial health of assigned projects, including p&l development, capital feasibility studies, and roi analysis.
20%
innovation analysis & ideation
trend & market intelligence: track and synthesize global/local innovation trends and fmcg (fast-moving consumer goods) dynamics to identify "white space" opportunities.
insight-driven innovation: analyze consumer, shopper, and market research to build a robust pipeline of insights and ideas for future exploration.
business case development: partner with insights and marketing teams to build compelling business cases and consumer learning plans for new initiatives.
strategic recommendations: present and advocate for initiatives that maximize commercial success within relevant brand spaces
20%
reporting & performance tracking
data consolidation: orchestrate the monthly innovation tracker by gathering and validating inputs from all cross-functional marketing partners.
executive reporting: generate high-impact local and international innovation reports, providing visibility on pipeline health and performance to senior leadership.
10%
personal capability development
continuous growth: take proactive ownership of professional development, identifying key areas for growth in innovation methodology and leadership.
self-driven training: commit to a structured self-training plan under the mentorship of the innovation manager to stay at the forefront of industry best practices.
minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsiblities:
analytical & strategic mastery
insight synthesis: ability to apply comprehensive research and analytical principles to identify patterns and transform complex data into strategic business recommendations.
adaptive problem solving: proficiency in utilizing (or designing) innovative analytical frameworks to address evolving business questions and ambiguous situations.
strategic thinking: demonstrated potential to connect market dynamics with business objectives, fostering long-term value creation.
intellectual curiosity: a proactive mindset characterized by the ability to ask thought-provoking questions and challenge the status quo to drive innovation.
operational excellence & resilience
agile prioritization: proven ability to manage multiple, sometimes conflicting, priorities in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines and short time constraints.
reliability: strong commitment to operational excellence and a consistent track record of meeting or exceeding deadlines.
learning agility: capacity to rapidly acquire and apply new technical skills and industry methodologies.
collaboration & communication
cross-functional influence: ability to interact effectively and build rapport with diverse teams (r&d, sales, finance, supply chain).
communication skills: excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to stakeholders.
technical & tools proficiency
business intelligence: advanced proficiency in microsoft office suite (excel and powerpoint are essential).
data platforms: familiarity with retail databases such as nielsen or iscam (answers/cubo) is highly desirable.
project management: working knowledge of project management software (e.g., ms project, asana, or smartsheet).
additional requirements
mobility: willingness and ability to travel (10-20% of the time).
education:
bachelor's degree required (marketing/management, high achievement and quantitative abilty primary considerations).
experience:
innovation experience: 2 - 3 years.
project management experience with stage gate process
brand management experience (as brand associate) a plus
working knowledge of syndicated data a plus (e.g. Nielsen).
business experience:
1-3 years.
background in consumer packaged goods considered a plus
experience in crossfunctional disciplines a significant plus (e.g. marketing, finance, category management, consulting, r&d, etc.)
show more show less