Innovation Strategy & Systems Manager

The Innovation Strategy & Systems (ISS) team is an integral part of the wider Category Innovation Team within Fonterra’s Innovation & Brand (I&B) Business Unit. ISS works alongside the three cross-functional Category teams: Advanced Nutrition, Everyday Dairy, and Dairy Foods & Food Service, and partners with the wider business to ensure the efficient delivery of the globally aligned Category Innovation roadmap.

About the opportunity | Te whiwhinga mahi

As the Innovation Strategy & Systems Manager, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to drive strategic priorities, develop innovation capabilities, and lead initiatives that enhance our category processes and ways of working. Key Responsibilities include:

• Category Strategy Development: Partner with category teams to refine their strategies, by providing the processes and tools to facilitate the process.
• Innovation Capability: Lead the cultural transformation required to deliver our innovation goals, leveraging best in class methodologies like Design Thinking and applying it to commercial projects to support both category & regional objectives.
• Cross-Category Initiatives: Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve ways of working, and deliver best-practice systems to support innovation across categories. Example projects could include category innovation onboarding system, supplier partnerships or a system for competitor benchmarking.

About you | Ko wai koe

You’ll be part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and the ability to think differently while working on projects that will make a tangible impact on our co-op and customers. You’ll bring extensive experience in marketing, innovation, or sales-based roles and possess the skills and mindset to drive large-scale opportunities while navigating complex cross-functional environments. Key skills and attributes include:

• Proven success in marketing (category or product management), innovation, or NPD, with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Exceptional global stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, underpinned by high emotional intelligence and effective cross cultural communication.
• A proactive, agile, and innovative approach to achieving results.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale change management or transformation projects, with exceptional organisation skills.
• Strong analytical skills to translate customer insights into actionable strategies.
• Familiarity with Food/Nutrition Industry B2B operating environments, and experience in agencies, consultancies, or applying Design Thinking.
• Strong experience in developing and driving external partnerships to support innovation.

Are you excited about this opportunity but may only meet some requirements? At Fonterra, we are committed to building a diverse workplace and, therefore, open to looking at applicants with excellent transferable skills. If that's you, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or one of our other opportunities. Our people and what they bring to our Co-op shape our success. We have a collaborative culture, inspiring leaders, and passionate people, making Fonterra a great place to work. We also offer competitive remuneration and a range of benefits, regardless of your role or location. Being part of Fonterra means being part of a unique history, realizing the potential of dairy for generations to come, and solving for a better future together.

• Whanaungatanga, our Co-operative spirit, guides a common strength and purpose.
• Manaakitanga is how we care for all our people at the heart of what we do.
• Kaitiakitanga ensures we care for the land, farming in a way that regenerates our farms and environment for future generations.
• Whakaohooho inspires us all with excellent career development opportunities, benefits, flexibility, and balance to suit everyone's lifestyles and choices.

Our Co-operative is a place where everyone can be themselves, feel empowered to do their best, and are empowered to create goodness for generations. #J-18808-Ljbffr