Long Term Transformative Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Manager

Barilla Group; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary package incl. 8% holiday pay

Office in Amsterdam’s Zuidas district

Hybrid work: 3 days in office, 2 days

Job summary

Barilla Group in Amsterdam seeks a Long Term Transformative Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Manager to lead scouting, development and governance of strategic partnerships across the Middle East and APAC, leveraging external capabilities and driving innovation-driven collaborations.

You will own PMO activities, manage cross-functional teams with R&D and LTTI leadership, and ensure progress aligns with long-term strategy while maintaining a strong pipeline.

Qualifications

• Degree in Economics, Business Administration, or related fields.
• 5-7 years in Business Development, Marketing, Innovation, Consulting, or FMCG.
• Strong knowledge of finance, market research, and analysis.
• Experience with market intelligence tools to analyze category performance and trends.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Proven PMO experience and project governance.
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.
• Experience in food, FMCG, or related sectors is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, finalization and governance of strategic partnerships in the Middle East with business case development and milestone tracking.
• Support APAC partnership strategy with market analysis and collaboration assessment.
• Manage innovation-driven partnerships and maintain the pipeline across LTTI territories.
• Oversee long-term innovation projects with PMO activities and cross-functional alignment.
• Contribute to platform development, KPI tracking, and cross-territory insights.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Innovation management

PMO

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Market analysis

Project governance

English fluency

International travel

Education

Degree in Economics, Business Administration, or related fields

Tools

NielsenIQ

Euromonitor

GlobalData

Job description

Long Term Transformative Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Manager

About Barilla

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we’ve blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world’s top food company by reputation. With 22 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready-made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of almost 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job Purpose

As theLong TermTransformative Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Manageryousupport in the scouting,developmentand management of long-term strategic partnerships, with a focus on Middle East & APAC regions, and innovation-driven collaborations toleverageon external technical and commercial capabilities. The role includes the autonomous management of selected innovation driven collaborations, full ownership of project management and governance activities, and coordination of cross functional teams and external partners.You are alsoresponsible for driving project progress, ensuring alignment with the LTTI long term strategy, andmaintainingthe partnership and innovation pipeline across the LTTI territories.

Key accountabilities

Contribute to the development, finalization andmanage follow upof the strategic Middle East partnership: business case development, project management and governance support, milestone tracking, decision-making materials.

Support the development of a strategic partnership approach to APAC, including the assessment of existing collaboration: market analysis, partnership pipeline and evaluation framework, prioritization, potential evaluation of existing collaborations together with the Region.

Manageidentifiedinnovation-driven partnerships and contribute to the scouting and development of new partnershipsin accordance withthe LTTI innovation agenda: PMO activities including Project tracking, cross-functional and partners alignment, executive summaries, pilot co-design, opportunity assessment.

Manage active long-term innovation projects development, consistently with the LTTI process: PMO activities, including Project tracking, cross-functional alignment, executive summaries, presentation materials in strong collaboration with R&D,CIAand LTTI Director.

Contribute to the platform developments of the 4 LTTI territories and the project pipeline maintenance: Market analysis and Insight reports, roadmap updates, KPI tracking, Workshops organization and external agencies management

Requirements

Degree in Economics, Business Administration, or related fields

5-7 years working experience in Business Development, Marketing, Innovation, Consulting, or equivalent roles in FMCG

Solid knowledge/exposure to finance, market research, innovation, and market analysis, with a practical understanding of business drivers

Hands-on experience using market intelligence and consumer insights platforms such asNielsenIQ(NIQ), Euromonitor, GlobalData, or similar tools to analyze category performance, consumer trends, competitive landscapes, and growth opportunities

Strong individual contributor with high operational autonomy and the ability to build and sustain effective professional relationships

Proven team player who collaborates effectively across functions and geographies

Demonstrated excellence in project management, from planning through execution

Advanced analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights

Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving outcomes in complex, evolving environments

Strong capability in managing internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels

Available for international travel asrequired

Fluent in English;additionallanguages are a plus

Experience in food, FMCG, consumer goods, ingredients, or related sectors, combined with a genuine interest in food and food culture, is an advantage

What We Offer

A competitive salary package, including 8% holiday allowance

An office in Amsterdam's vibrantZuidasdistrict

A hybrid working environment: 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home

A permanent contract from the start

At Barilla, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where diversity in all its forms is valued and embraced. Our employment policies and practices are designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of age, race, color, citizenship, faith, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or characteristics of expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, medical condition, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our commitment to equal employment stems from our unwavering belief that it is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a fundamental driver of innovation and business success.