Job description
Bakery Category Italy is looking for the next Marketing Innovation Breakfast Senior Manager to join the team.
The position is based in Parma and reports to the Innovation Bakery Italy Director.
Job purpose
The successful candidate will be responsible to lead the end-to-end innovation agenda for the Breakfast portfolio, translating consumer and market insights into compelling product and experience innovations that deliver sustainable growth. The role owns sub-category-level innovation strategy, pipeline shaping, and execution from ideation to launch, ensuring rigor, speed, and commercial robustness through the Phase & Gate process.
Key Accountabilities
- Own and drive the Breakfast innovation pipeline in line with overall Category Bakery Italy innovation strategy.
- Shape sub category innovation strategy by identifying growth platforms, white spaces, and renovation opportunities.
- Lead portfolio prioritisation within Breakfast, balancing risk, reward, and resource allocation.
- Lead end-to-end innovation projects from early ideation through concept development, business case, and launch.
- Apply Phase & Gate rigor, ensuring strong go/no-go discipline and readiness to stop or pivot initiatives where value is unproven.
- Ensure innovation concepts are insight-led, clearly differentiated, and commercially viable.
- Build deep understanding of Breakfast consumers, occasions, needs, and decision drivers.Translate qualitative and quantitative insights into clear innovation opportunities and value propositions.
- Leverage segmentation frameworks to sharpen targeting and guide innovation focus.
- Act as the innovation orchestrator across CMCs Development, R&D;, Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial teams.
- Ensure consumer desirability, technical feasibility, and commercial viability are embedded throughout development.
- Drive strong project management discipline, timelines, and risk mitigation.
- Track innovation KPIs, lead post-launch reviews, and embed learning agendas to improve pipeline productivity.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of innovation processes, tools, and ways of working.
- Coach and develop junior team members on Breakfast initiatives, fostering agile, collaborative ways of working and unlock execution barriers.
Requirements
- Over 8 years of proven experience in Innovation and Consumer Marketing, ideally in FMCG.
- Excellent communication skills in English; Italian is mandatory.
- International growth mindset with proven strategic execution and influencing skills.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to focus on the bigger picture.
- Strategic vision and the ability to manage complex and multiple tasks, strengthening and developing the business.
Additional info
Type of Contract: Local, permanent
Expected starting date: June/July 2026
Location: Parma (PR)