International Innovation Manager Bread

Ceres Recruitment Belgium | Food & Agri | Interim | Executive; Haaltert; Hybride; EUR 90 000 - 130 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Company car

Bonus scheme

Additional benefits

Résumé du poste

La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG) in Belgium seeks a senior leader to drive international bread category innovation. You will lead cross‑functional teams with R&D, sales, and local marketing, translating briefs into scalable product concepts and coordinating global scale‑up.

The role emphasizes data‑driven decision making, reliability, and long‑term pipeline development across 30+ markets, with travel and leadership in a fast‑paced, international environment.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a scientific field (e.g. Bio‑engineering, Food Technology).
• 5–10 years of experience in the bakery industry, with at least 5 years coordinating NPD projects for bread.
• Strong technical knowledge of bread, ingredients and production line capabilities.
• Proven experience in project management and coordination.
• Experience in a global headquarters or international hub.
• Experience with sustainability programmes.
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

Responsabilités

• Lead key international innovation projects.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, new technologies and processes.
• Co-design and execute the short and long-term innovation pipeline.
• Translate project briefings into clear product briefings, including product characteristics and ingredients.
• Onboard local teams and coordinate scale-up to product creation.
• Collaborate with sales and the international category team to support launch concepts.
• Track and report post-launch performance of international innovations using defined KPIs.

Connaissances

Bread expertise

Leadership

International coordination

NPD management

Project management

English fluency

Formation

Master's degree in a scientific field

Description du poste

Do you want to shape the future of bread across the globe? Do you enjoy leading complex projects and keeping things moving? Do you thrive in an international environment? If so, this is the role you have been waiting for. Apply now to take the next step.

La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG)

is a 100% Belgian family business. With more than 5700 employees they create and sell bakery products across four business units: fresh, frozen, milling and retail concepts. The Frozen Business Unit, the largest of the four, leads the global category strategy and innovation across all bread categories and markets. La Lorraine Bakery Group isn't chasing the next food trend. They're building something more durable: a position as the most reliable and consistent bakery partner in the market. With 85+ years of expertise and operations in 40+ markets, they know what works. They're looking for someone who can take their bread category to the next level through smart, scalable innovation. This is where you come in.

The Team

You will become part of the International Marketing team within the Frozen Business Unit. You will report to the ITL Category Director Bread and work closely with the international category team, R&D and sales, and local marketing and NPD teams across different markets. No direct reports, but your leadership skills will steer local NPD teams and technologists, so your influence reaches further than your title suggests.

Your mission is to lead and coordinate international innovation in the bread category—data-driven and build to scale.

The ambition is clear: product leadership through fact-based innovation, with reliability and scalability at the core. Let’s be direct: bread represents approximately 60% of LLBG’s total revenue. That’s the beating heart of the business. The innovation pipeline you build, the projects you lead and the decisions you make will have a direct and measurable impact on the company’s growth trajectory across 30+ countries. The scope of your projects sits at the intersection of high complexity and high scalability.

What you’ll take ownership of

• Lead key international innovation projects
• Stay ahead of industry trends, new technologies and processes.
• Co-design and execute the short and long-term innovation pipeline
• Translate project briefings into clear product briefings, including product characteristics and ingredients
• Onboard local teams and coordinate scale-up to product creation
• Collaborate with sales and the international category team to support launch concepts
• Track and report post-launch performance of international innovations using defined KPIs

Profile

Bakery technical expertise with leadership presence and a real love for bread.

You are

• A true team player who quickly builds trust across cultures.
• Hands‑on and entrepreneurial, always turning ideas into action.
• A confident influencer who energizes local plants and aligns them through clear communication and governance.
• Genuinely passionate about food, ingredients and bakery products.
• Driven by growth in a fast‑paced international environment, bringing structure and ownership through planning and prioritisation.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a scientific field (e.g. Bio‑engineering, Food Technology)
• 5–10 years of experience in the bakery industry, with at least 5 years coordinating NPD projects for bread
• Strong technical knowledge of bread, ingredients and production line capabilities
• Proven experience in project management and coordination
• Experience in a global headquarters or international hub
• Experience with sustainability programmes
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written

Offer

Why joining La Lorraine Bakery Group is a unique opportunity

• A strategically critical role at the beating heart of a global bakery leader
• A pivotal position in a company with a proven track record of 10% annual growth
• The stability of a family business with the reach of a global player
• A clear mission: product leadership through fact‑based, scalable innovation
• Room to develop and grow in a truly international environment
• An energetic, hands‑on organisation where your impact is visible and measurable
• A competitive salary package including company car, bonus scheme and additional benefits, in line with the seniority of the role

This is a high‑visibility, high‑stakes role: one that sits at the very top of the agenda at group level. If you are looking for a position where your work genuinely moves the needle, this is it.

Location

Haaltert (Belgium), easily accessible from Ghent and Brussels, 1 day/week home office, 25% international travel.

Interested

La Lorraine Bakery Group has exclusively entrusted the recruitment and selection for this position to Ceres Recruitment. Curious to learn more about this opportunity? Christine Coucke at Ceres Recruitment will be happy to tell you more: [phone]. Applications can be submitted via www.ceresrecruitment.be.