The criticality of R&D Product Data for our customers and consumers is increasing exponentially. In the past, we shared this data via printing on the artwork only. Nowadays this same data is shared digitally for on-line sales, brand websites, apps, and mandated by retailers for product listings. The vision to create this data once and orchestrate to everywhere to fulfil the many different requirements of all these users is at the heart of this vacancy.

This Vacancy Sits Inside The Digital Technology Solutions Team Within Digital & Partnerships R&D, Of Which The Program Is Aligned With Business Group Priorities That Provide Direction To Our Investments And Technology Roadmaps. End To End Innovation And End To End R&D Product Data Orchestration Is The Focus Area Of The Vacancy

• Delivering fully digitised and highly automated innovation workflows,
• Re-wiring the way R&D works across Unilever digital tools and systems, enabling seamless data flow,
• Integrating with Digital platforms and systems in other functions, such as Artwork Excellence, Customer development (Ecommerce + Retail), while leading the new systems for Product Data Management for cross-functional data orchestration to create artwork.
  
  

The program includes R&D representation in Unilever’s Product Data Management (PDM) program, planned for roll-out globally across Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain and Artwork Excellence from 2023 onwards. Delivering system functionality to allow Unilever to grow its business providing high quality data from R&D, End to End data management, data processes & governance is at the heart of this program. Specifically, the role sits inside the Product Information workstream, offering product data relevant for customers and consumers, and tools for Business Groups and functions to drive the end-to-end digitalisation.

We are looking for a Global Programme Lead who can work with the Digital & Partnerships R&D team, the wider R&D user community, as well with key partners in other functions to establish the overall digital Ecosystem for Unilever to deliver R&D Product data when and where it’s needed.

To That End, The Person Will

• Lead the global program for R&D Product Data orchestration, data assembly, deep understanding of data attributes by channels, business units and customers.
• Drive Change management across Unilever, across all functions, in high priority cross-functional programs to be deployed from this year onwards.
• Lead delivery of functional enhancements to R&D systems to fulfill R&D and cross-functional requirements from idea to implementation.
• The role has intensive engagements with key data and digital leads from all key Unilever functions associated with the innovation process – from Marketing to Artwork to Sales.
• The person is also the sole custodial of a platform for navigating innovations that hosts all Digital tools in one place.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

The ideal candidate will be a strong, passionate person willing to go the extra mile to deliver digital solutions and ways of working in an exciting Digital programme, is a self-starter. The role requires a strong passion and demonstrates capability to influence, partner and drive change across myriad interfaces, globally, with a penchant for listening and facilitation. The role provides an excellent opportunity to grow and develop leadership, change management, training and stakeholder management capabilities and to build a wide network in the R&D community.

Experience & Skills

• R&D FMCG Product Development experience is a MUST
• Clear evidence of leading and driving R&D’s contribution to business growth agenda.
• Strategic thinking: Ability to develop strategies and translate into actionable plans to deliver business benefit.
• Strategic influencing: Ability to build “big relationships” with various functions that make use of R&D output. The role involves extensive engagements with people – internally and externally. You need to enjoy this!
• Experience in virtual global working
• Fully operational in project management/ leadership on a global scale across a cross functional team
• End to End data management experience
• Have a basic appreciation of the key digital trends driving disruption as well as R&D business process and product design
• Must Excel At:
• Devise solutions with creativity, courage and pragmatism
• Be able to understand business users and craft targeted change management solutions across a complex set of users
• Be driven by delivery, be obsessed with experimenting, failing, refining, trying again
• Stellar communication skills: face to face and virtual, be not afraid to face a stage and do Improv, for example!
• Stellar Influencing Skills
• Be able to learning to learn constantly – willing to flex!