Director Activity Management – Innovation Process & Governance (f/m/d)

Freudenberg; Weinheim; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Freudenberg is seeking a Director of Activity Management – Innovation Process & Governance (f/m/d) in Weinheim. You will establish and lead an independent quality governance function for Stage-Gate processes, and own the framework with AI-enabled tools.

You will design risk and scope-change management, drive Strategic Portfolio Management, and provide oversight on gate readiness and key risks. You will also align the portfolio with strategy, optimize investments and resources, and guide

Qualifications

• University degree in business, engineering or economics; MBA advantageous.
• 3+ years at senior manager level in process governance, PMO, portfolio management or innovation management.
• Proven track record in Stage-Gate/NPD governance, risk management and quality frameworks.
• Ability to provide independent guidance and challenge senior stakeholders; facilitation and decision-making skills.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to translate complex risks and processes into actionable recommendations.
• Fluent English; additional languages are an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead an independent quality governance function for the Stage-Gate process, including structured Quality Reviews, standardized criteria and effective gatekeeping.
• Own and continuously develop the Stage-Gate framework and supporting tools (incl. AI), combining clear governance standards with the flexibility required for different project types.
• Design and implement standardized risk and scope-change management frameworks, including clear roles, evaluation criteria and escalation processes and transparent decision-making.
• Drive Strategic Portfolio Management by aligning the portfolio with business strategy, optimizing investments and resource allocation, and ensuring a strong innovation pipeline delivering against regional and category growth targets.
• Provide independent oversight and portfolio transparency on gate readiness, key risks and overall process health, enabling sound go/hold/stop decisions while ensuring continuous improvement based on post-launch reviews.

Skills

Independent guidance

Facilitation

Decision making

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Analytical mindset

Education

University degree in business/economics/engineering

MBA advantageous

Job description

Director Activity Management – Innovation Process & Governance (f/m/d)Our pages use cookies for various services of our website. For details please refer to the following link: https://cookie-information.freudenberg.com/### Director Activity Management – Innovation Process & Governance (f/m/d)Apply: Weinheim: Full time: Posted Today: R\\_00108284**Working at Freudenberg: We will wow your world!**# Responsibilities:* **Establish and lead an independent quality governance function** for the Stage-Gate process, including structured Quality Reviews, standardized criteria and effective gatekeeping.* **Own and continuously develop the Stage-Gate framework and supporting tools (incl. AI)**, combining clear governance standards with the flexibility required for different project types.* **Design and implement standardized risk and scope-change management frameworks**, including clear roles, evaluation criteria, escalation processes and transparent decision-making.* **Drive Strategic Portfolio Management** by aligning the portfolio with business strategy, optimizing investments and resource allocation, and ensuring a strong innovation pipeline delivering against regional and category growth targets.* **Provide independent oversight and portfolio transparency** on gate readiness, key risks and overall process health, enabling sound go/hold/stop decisions while ensuring continuous improvement based on post-launch reviews.# Qualifications:* University degree in **Business Administration, Engineering, Economics or a related field**; an MBA is an advantage.* **3+ years of experience at senior manager level** in process governance, PMO, portfolio management, innovation management or a comparable function, ideally within FMCG or a similar environment.* Proven track record in **designing and implementing Stage-Gate/NPD governance, risk management and quality frameworks**.* Strong ability to provide **independent guidance and challenge senior stakeholders**, combined with excellent facilitation and decision-making skills.* Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to translate complex risks and processes into **clear, actionable recommendations**.* Fluent English; additional languages are an advantage. The Freudenberg Group is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. Employment opportunities are available to all applicants and associates without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions GmbH