Head of Self-Gifting/Impulse FTC

pladis Foods Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Godiva seeks a Head of Self-Gifting & Impulse (Maternity Cover) to lead the global self-gifting portfolio strategy, align stakeholders, and drive profitable growth across markets. You will shape platforms, manage senior teams, and prioritise opportunities based on shopper insight and category data.

You will champion Stage & Gate governance, oversee an ambitious innovation pipeline, and ensure locally relevant activation plans while maintaining global consistency and commercial rigor.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in FMCG marketing and category strategy.
• Proven ability to lead global or multi-market platform strategies.
• Strong financial acumen including investment prioritisation.
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical capability.
• Demonstrated people leadership and cross-functional influence.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Set global strategy and growth agenda for Self-Gifting & Impulse portfolio with long-term priorities.
• Shape global platforms across formats, markets and occasions to ensure relevance and scalability.
• Define multi-year innovation pipeline and allocate resources according to consumer insights.
• Translate evidence into clear portfolio decisions, investment priorities and business cases.
• Build alignment across global and regional stakeholders with clear governance and Stage & Gate.
• Lead Marketing Manager and teams through ownership and RACI-driven processes.

Skills

Senior FMCG Marketing

Entrepreneurial mindset

Global platform leadership

Commercial acumen

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional leadership

People leadership

Communication skills

Job description

Our values have deep personal meaning to us. They're part of who we are and what we stand for as an employer. Living our pladis values is a key part of success, look out for questions in your interview that link to these key pladis values.

Site Introduction In 2021, pladis proudly opened the doors to our vibrant global hub, the MIU Campus. Located in the heart of Chiswick Park, West London. Just a short 5-minute walk from Gunnersbury Station, our campus is nestled within 33 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, offering a welcoming and inspiring environment for all. Chiswick Park is home to both our UK and Global Corporate teams, bringing together diverse teams across the business.

What will this role achieve?

The Head of Self-Gifting & Impulse (Maternity Cover) will lead one of Godiva's most important strategic growth platforms, setting the direction for the global self-gifting portfolio and translating it into clear category, innovation and market priorities. The role is accountable for strengthening Godiva's relevance across self-treat, impulse, sharing and everyday premium occasions, with a sharp focus on profitable category growth and consumer-led portfolio choices globally. As the global lead for the category, the role will align global and regional stakeholders, direct the Marketing Manager and cross-functional teams, and ensure decisions move through Stage & Gate with pace, clarity and commercial rigour.

What will be your key deliverables?

• Set the global strategy and growth agenda for the Self-Gifting & Impulse portfolio, defining long-term growth choices and annual priorities.
• Shape and scale priority platforms globally through a rigorous portfolio framework lens across formats, price points, markets and occasions, ensuring Godiva's self-gifting platforms are distinctive, commercially scalable and locally relevant.
• Define the strategic direction of the multi-year innovation pipeline, setting portfolio investment priorities and allocating resources across growth platforms while balancing near-term delivery with the development of future growth opportunities, underpinned by consumer, shopper and category insight.
• Translate consumer, shopper, category and competitor evidence into clear portfolio decisions, investment priorities and business cases that drive penetration, frequency, relevance and profitability.
• Build alignment and commitment across global and regional stakeholders, establishing strategic guardrails while enabling markets to create locally relevant commercial activation plans.
• Lead the Marketing Manager and cross-functional teams through clear ownership, governance and RACI-led ways of working whilst championing Stage & Gate excellence.

Bring your experience.

Essential

• Significant senior-level experience in FMCG marketing, category strategy, portfolio leadership or innovation, with a track record of delivering growth through consumer-led choices.
• Entrepreneurial and proactive in approach, with the ability to create clarity from ambiguity, mobilise stakeholders and relentlessly drive priorities forward to deliver business impact.
• Proven ability to lead global or multi-market platform strategies and translate long-term ambition into focused priorities, roadmaps and executable plans.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including category growth modelling, portfolio optimisation, business case development and investment prioritisation.
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical capability, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and turn complex evidence into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Demonstrated people leadership, including setting direction, coaching talent, delegating effectively and creating clarity through RACI-led ways of working.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with the gravitas to align global and regional leadership around a compelling category and portfolio narrative.

Desirable

• Experience in premium chocolate, confectionery, snacking or adjacent premium consumer categories.
• Experience of innovation and renovation leadership from opportunity definition through Stage & Gate, launch readiness and in-market performance review.
• Experience scaling a hero brand or product platform across multiple channels, formats, price points and markets.
• Strong understanding of global category, consumer and shopper research methodologies and how to convert learning into strategic choices.
• Experience leading a significant relaunch or turnaround programme involving proposition, product, packaging and market execution.
• Comfort operating in a highly matrixed organisation, balancing global strategic consistency with regional commercial realities.

Godiva and affiliates, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.

Search Firm Representatives please read carefully: Godiva is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Godiva via-email, the Internet or directly to hiring managers at Godiva in any form without a valid written search agreement in place for that position will be deemed the sole property of Godiva, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Godiva as a result of the referral or through other means.

Godiva is broadly recognized as the worldwide leader in super premium chocolates, through over 600 retail stores, 40,000 points of sale and over 800 Travel retail points of sale in more than 80 countries. Godiva's commitment to excellence is also apparent in its Gold Ballotin Collection and seasonal packaging which have earned Godiva a global reputation for design excellence. Godiva manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of indulgent products, including boxed premium chocolates, small chocolate treats, dipped fruit, biscuits/cookies, coffee/cocoa, blended chilled beverages and other premium chocolate products all bearing the Godiva name. Godiva has recently taken meaningful and successful steps to broaden its portfolio beyond chocolate gifting into the high growth, self-consumption and home entertainment/sharing segments of the marketplace across the Globe. Godiva products are manufactured in Brussels, Belgium and Reading, PA and select co-manufacturing locations globally. The company has approximately 5,000 employees around the world.

Why us?

If you love our brand, are a chocolate lover and are passionate about making a difference for a global company please consider a career with us. We are looking for people who love taking initiative and becoming part of a fast moving company.