Innovation Manager

Magnum Ice Cream Co.; Datchet; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Magnum Ice Cream Company invites applications for an Innovation Manager (12 Month Maternity Cover) to lead cross‑functional innovation projects across Europe and the UK. You will translate consumer and market insights into a robust pipeline, ensuring on‑time delivery with strong commercial discipline and brand integrity.

You will work with marketing, design and country teams to land innovations, building the 18–36 month portfolio roadmap and supporting annual plans.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in brand development, particularly NPD/portfolio management.
• Understanding of the ice cream category is preferred.
• Demonstrated project management experience across cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead innovation projects from concept to launch.
• Coordinate timelines, meetings and key project documents.
• Support market landing with OTIF delivery and business-case targets.
• Develop marketing materials and communication plans for launches.
• Collaborate with design to ensure strong brand representation.

Skills

Brand development

NPD development

Portfolio management

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Business English

Numeracy

Degree level education

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

BLUE/PlanView experience

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Tools

BLUE

PlanView

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Life tastes better with ice cream With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry. We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference.

What Truly Sets Us Apart Is How We Work.

We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done. We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.

Role : Innovation Manager ( 12 Month Maternity Cover)

Work Level : 1C

The Magnum Ice Cream Company (formerly a division of Unilever) is now a standalone, independent, EUR 7.9 billion publicly listed company. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company. A place where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded. And where we craft extraordinary ice cream experiences - transforming ordinary moments into lasting memories. Because we know, life tastes better with ice cream. We dream big but keep things simple to act fast. If you want to grow with us, make an impact, and shape the future of Ice Cream this is the place for you!

Background/Context

Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington Vermont, USA by childhood friends & dedicated activists Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. They took a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making from Penn State University and with a $12,000 investment ($4,000 was borrowed), they began their business making the finest quality ice cream with big chunks and swirls. They operated the company on a sustainable concept of linked prosperity and a 3 part mission where product, economic and social objectives carried equal importance. Today, Ben & Jerry’s is a €400m+ business in Europe and one of the fastest growing brands within the total European Ice Cream portfolio. As a result, we are looking for a passionate marketer to help deliver our ambition of doubling the size of the business while simultaneously becoming the most ethical food brand in the market. This dynamic role includes responsibility for the development and execution of values centred new product development, all with the objective of accelerating growth sustainably.

The Role

The Ben & Jerry’s EU Innovation Manager manages and supports innovation projects from concept through launch, working closely with cross-functional teams across Europe. They will help bring consumer, category, customer, and market insights into the innovation pipeline, while ensuring projects are delivered on time, with strong commercial discipline and brand integrity.

This is a one year temporary role opening due to a leave.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Overall support across marketing & innovation delivery requirement

• Lead innovation projects through the internal innovation process, from concept to launch
• Support additional innovation projects by providing project management including managing timelines, meetings, milestones, and key project documentation
• Assist in landing innovations in market, working closely with the local country teams to deliver OTIF (on time in full) & delivering on the business case
• Work with cross functional marketing teams in the development of innovation sell‑in support and materials & communications plans.
• Work closely with the design dept to ensure excellent brand representation across all materials including packaging, POS, etc.
• Contribute to the development of the 18‑ 36 month portfolio roadmap
• Pro‑actively feed market, category and customer requirements into platform innovation projects
• Support the development and execution of annual marketing plans & BETs
• Recommend and commission consumer research where needed
• Champion the consumer needs and brand passion within the overall business
• Partner with the Social Mission Team on integration of social mission campaigns/objectives in marketing plans.
• Provide regular support to event organisation, trade samples, and other launch related activities
• Budget support including PO raising

We’re Looking For Someone Who…

You bring marketing experience in the ice cream or broader food category, with a genuine passion for building brands that connect with consumers. You are collaborative, commercially minded, and self‑motivated, with strong project management skills and the ability to build trusted cross‑functional relationships. You combine consumer insight and financial awareness to help move innovation from idea to launch.

Required Skills And Experience

• Proven experience in brand development, particularly NPD development/portfolio management
• Understanding of the ice cream category
• Demonstrated project management experience, including the ability to lead cross‑functional work
• Clear and effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing, utilizing spoken business English and the ability to engage tactfully with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Good numeracy skills
• Degree level education or equivalent experience
• Excellent IT skills are required, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPpoint.
• Experience with BLUE and/or PlanView is helpful but not essential

Competencies

• Growth Mindset
• Consumer and Customer Focus
• Bias for Action
• Accountability and Responsibility
• Building Talent and Teams

About The Magnum Ice Cream Company

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry We have been taking pleasure seriously for more than 100 years, serving happiness with every lick or scoop of ice cream for generations.

About

The Magnum Ice Cream Company (formerly part of Unilever) is all about growth. Growing our business. Growing our customers’ businesses. Growing our people’s careers. Growth begins with empowerment. So we free our people to be innovative, responsible entrepreneurs, driven and equipped to give our consumers more amazing products and unforgettable moments – and having fun doing it. Here’s what defines success in our organization :

• We are all about growth
• We operate with speed and simplicity
• We win together with fun
• We boldly innovate to disrupt our industry
• We care and challenge
• We are experts in the Ice Cream Category

ARE YOU EXCITED TO CRAFT THE ICE CREAM FUTURE?

The Magnum Ice Cream Company embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity

Additional Information

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position

Disclaimer

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Why join us?

This is a place for people who are passionate about ice cream and are growth obsessed - both for the business and for themselves. People who act like an owner and drive our business end-to-end. People who are driven by success to deliver more than we ever thought we could!

You’ll thrive here if you value an inclusive culture, with low ego and hierarchy - and if you’re excited to continuously learn and challenge how we work, using digital, data, and new thinking to push us forward.

• Roles with real accountability and visible impact
• Free to move fast, experiment and challenge how things are done
• Continuous learning and development as the business grows
• Reward linked to performance and contribution.

Your career here is shaped by what you deliver, as you work across functions and markets and grow with the business.

Ready to build the future of Ice Cream?

If this sounds like the place where you'd thrive, we'd love to hear from you.

If you are an individual with a disability and require assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please let your Talent Acquisition Partner know.

Additional Information

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.