Head of Innovation and Justine Category (Hybrid)

Avon; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beauty company in South Africa is seeking a Head of Innovation. The role focuses on driving business growth through category strategies and innovation. Responsibilities include managing marketing plans, leading category innovation, and developing talent within teams. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in category management or marketing strategy, strong commercial acumen, and excellent stakeholder management skills. Join a diverse and inclusive workplace committed to empowering everyone to bring their best self to work.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in category management, marketing strategy, or innovation leadership.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to translate insights into actionable plans.
• Leadership experience focused on developing talent and building high‑performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Building and managing category marketing plans including profit planning.
• Leading category innovation and portfolio management to identify opportunities.
• Developing creative briefs and ensuring timely campaign content delivery.
• Analyzing campaign performance to optimize future activations.
• Driving innovation workshops and supporting product development.
• Collaborating with stakeholders for alignment and execution.

Skills

Category management

Marketing strategy

Innovation leadership

Stakeholder management

Collaboration skills

Job description

You’ve picked a great time to join Avon. We’re the company that puts purpose, people and relationships at the heart of everything we do. The company that’s 135 years young and only just getting started. As part of the Natura &Co family, we’re committed to being the best beauty company for the world by generating a positive environmental, economic and social impact for our communities across the globe.

Role Type

Permanent

What you’ll be doing

As Head of Innovation and Justine Category, you’ll play a key role in driving business growth by shaping and delivering category strategies that create a compelling shopping experience for our consumers. You’ll lead the development of long‑term plans and translate them into actionable annual and quarterly strategies. Working closely with cross‑functional teams, you’ll ensure innovation, commercial edge, and brand positioning are at the heart of everything we do. Your leadership will help us achieve category performance targets, strengthen our talent pipeline, and share best practices across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Building and managing category marketing plans, including profit planning, competitor analysis, and pricing strategies.
• Leading category innovation and portfolio management to identify gaps, opportunities, and new product positioning.
• Developing creative briefs and ensuring timely delivery of campaign content across print and digital channels.
• Analyzing campaign performance and contributing to post‑campaign reviews to optimize future activations.
• Driving innovation workshops and supporting new product development processes.
• Leading and developing your team to build a strong talent pipeline and future succession plans.
• Collaborating with key stakeholders across Commercial Strategy, Creative, Finance, Sales, and more to ensure alignment and execution.

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience in category management, marketing strategy, or innovation leadership within beauty, fashion, or consumer goods.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate insights into actionable plans.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills across matrix organizations.
• Strategic thinker with a passion for innovation and delivering results.
• Leadership experience with a focus on developing talent and building high‑performing teams.

What we offer

At Avon, we believe beauty is for everyone and that it’s beautiful to be you. We celebrate our differences, champion self‑expression and are committed to inclusion for all. We embrace diversity and individuality to build a culture that represents our communities and enables everyone to bring their best self to work. We also support reasonable adjustments both within our recruitment process and job design when required to empower you to work in a way that works for you. Ready to be a part of it? Join us.
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