Front-End Innovation Manager (m/f/d)

Nestle SA; Überlingen am Ried; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days vacation

Bike leasing program

Individual onboarding plan

Job summary

Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Food (NPTC Food) is seeking a senior leader in Germany to drive science-based culinary product innovation within R&D. Build and steer the FEI portfolio, guide opportunities end-to-end and manage budgets to maximize business value.

Fluent English is required; German is an advantage. You will lead cross-functional teams across R&D, commercial, operations and finance, and foster an agile, entrepreneurial culture with multi-region launches.

Qualifications

• Strong innovation and business acumen with a track record of identifying growth opportunities and delivering impact.
• Experience shaping innovation portfolios and roadmaps, balancing long-term strategy with delivery and value.
• Hands-on FEI expertise with governance, stage-gating and opportunities end-to-end.
• Cross-functional leadership across R&D, commercial, operations and finance.

Responsibilities

• Shape a strong innovation portfolio and pipeline aligned with business priorities.
• Drive opportunities from exploration through concept validation ensuring learning and feasibility.
• Set strategic FEI direction, governance, budgets and resource management for maximum impact.
• Lead stakeholder alignment across SBUs, zones, markets and R&D.
• Stay hands-on in innovation development, guiding framing, ideation and decisions.
• Lead the FEI team, develop capability and foster an agile, entrepreneurial culture.

Skills

Innovation & Business Impact

Strategy & Portfolio

FEI Expertise

Cross-functional Leadership

Strategic & Portfolio Thinking

Leadership through Influence

Building High-Performing Teams

Job description

Welcome to the Home of Food at Nestlé! Together with 220 experts at our Nestlé Product Technology Centre for Food (NPTC Food), we are responsible for the innovation and renovation of culinary products. Every day, we embody the entrepreneurial mindset and transform science into technologies with the aim of delivering tasty and balanced meals with the highest levels of freshness and convenience.

Most important facts at a glance:

Department: Research and Development

Working time: full-time

Contract: permanent

Start: as soon as possible

How you'll contribute and help us grow

• Shape a strong innovation portfolio and pipeline: Build and steer a high-quality portfolio of opportunity spaces, innovation territories and validated concepts aligned with business priorities
• Drive innovation forward: Guide opportunities from exploration through concept validation, ensuring strong learning, feasibility and concept quality, and enabling successful progression into the Idea-to-Launch pipeline, and multi region launches
• Set strategic direction and governance: Define Front-End Innovation (FEI) priorities and roadmaps, establish effective governance, lead portfolio reviews, and manage budgets, resources and investment choices to maximize portfolio impact and business value.
• Drive stakeholder alignment: Mobilize Strategic Business Units, Zone, Market, R&D, CMIA and relevant functions around shared priorities, clear accountabilities and timely, evidence-based decision-making.
• Stay hands-on in innovation development: Lead strategic projects and actively contribute to opportunity framing, territory development, ideation, concept creation and critical project decisions.
• Lead the FEI team and capability: Lead, coach and develop the FEI team; strengthen innovation capabilities, methodologies and ways of working; and foster an agile, entrepreneurial culture.

What will make you a great fit:

• Innovation & Business Impact:Strong innovation and business acumen, with an extensive track record of identifying growth opportunities, translating them into compelling consumer propositions, and delivering business impact through scalable innovation.
• Strategy & Portfolio:Strategic and operational innovation leadership within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), preferably food industry, with experience shaping innovation portfolios and roadmaps, balancing long-term innovation strategy with hands-on delivery and business impact.
• FEI Expertise: Hands-on FEI expertise, with a proven track record of leading opportunities end-to-end, from opportunity framing and innovation territories through ideation, concept creation, testing, validation and progression into the Idea-to-Launch pipeline, supported by a strong command of FEI methodologies, governance and stage-gating.
• Cross-functional Leadership:Strong cross-functional leadership with experience working across R&D, commercial, operations, finance and consumer insight functions.
• Strategic & Portfolio Thinking: Strategic and portfolio thinking, with the ability to prioritize across multiple horizons, categories and stakeholders.
• Leadership though Influence: Leadership through influence, with the confidence to align senior stakeholders, challenge constructively and turn ambiguity into action.
• Building High-Performing Teams:People leadership and coaching capability, with experience building high-performing teams and developing talent.

Spotting Future Opportunities:

• Accelerating Innovation through Data & AI:Digital, data-driven and AI-enabled innovation, leveraging consumer signals, analytics and Generative AI to accelerate insight generation, learning and decision-making.
• Communication: Strategic storytelling and communication, with the ability to translate complex consumer, technology and business insights into compelling narratives that drive alignment, informed decisions and action.
• Language skills: Fluent English is required; German or another relevant language is an advantage.
• Development: With our annual development meetings with your manager, we find out where your professional journey can go.
• In good hands: To help you settle in quickly and learn everything you need to know right from the start, we'll create an individual onboarding plan for you.
• 30 days of vacation: Taking breaks and recharging is important. That’s why everyone at Nestlé enjoys more vacation days than required by law.
• Ready to ride: Our bike leasing program makes it easy for you to get your new bicycle or e-bike and enjoy a more sustainable way of getting around.

Ready for the next steps?

Become part of something big

Nestlé offers endless possibilities for you. We are a leader in nutrition, health and wellness with our brands that are loved around the world. A real opportunity to positively impact the lives of millions. From breakfast to dinner, from medical nutrition to healthy snacks for four-legged friends, from sustainable farming to eco-friendly packaging. So much is already here, nowmakeit even better. In a team of diverse characters learning with and from each other - be a force for good.