Nestle

Senior Manager, Innovation & Strategy

Nestle$120K — $150K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field required
  • MBA strongly preferred
  • 5-7 years of experience in strategy, brand, marketing, or consulting
  • Proven experience in leading cross-functional initiatives
  • Strong strategic thinking and innovation mindset
  • Advanced storytelling and presentation skills
  • Strong project management and organizational skills

Responsibilities

  • Lead the 3-Year strategic planning process for the US Market
  • Support and shape long-term business strategy and growth initiatives
  • Coordinate complex, cross-functional initiatives during enterprise transformations
  • Establish and track OMP KPIs for performance measurement
  • Develop strategic approach for Premium Beverage category expansion
  • Create and maintain a 3-year Innovation pipeline for the US market
  • Drive end-to-end strategic innovation from ideation to market launch

Benefits

  • Hybrid work model
  • Opportunities for professional development
  • Dynamic work environment
  • Collaboration with global and local leadership
  • Access to cutting-edge market insights
  • Contributing to innovative and impactful projects
Full Job Description
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

The Senior Manager, Innovation & Strategy is responsible for driving and enabling long-term profitable growth through strategic planning, innovation, and cross-functional leadership for Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages. This position partners closely with global and US leadership teams to shape and deliver business strategy, lead market expansion initiatives, and ensure strong operational rigor through effective processes, governance, and performance tracking. The role also plays a critical leadership position in innovation-identifying, developing, and launching new growth opportunities within and beyond existing brand spaces.

Key Deliverables and Outputs

Strategy Development & Implementation

  • Lead 3-Year strategic planning process for the US Market (MBS)

  • Support and shape long-term business strategy and profitable growth initiatives

  • Lead and coordinate complex, cross-functional initiatives, along with organizational readiness during enterprise transformations.

  • Establish and track in-year OMP KPIs to measure performance against long-term strategic priorities


Innovation Approach, Creation, & Execution

  • Develop strategic approach to Premium Beverage expansion into new categories utilizing a build / partner / buy framework

  • Create and maintain 3-year Innovation pipeline and priorities for the US market (leading for Essentia and partnering with Global and International Premium Brand teams for IPB)

  • Lead innovation strategy and execution for Essentia big bet and platform launches

  • Drive selected end-to-end strategic innovation initiatives from ideation through market launch, with transition to brand teams post-launch


Market & Competitive Intelligence

  • Actively monitor competitors and share relevant insights to help guide leadership decision-making and commercial strategy


  • Stay ahead of industry trends and use those insights to inform strategy and innovation focus areas


Storytelling and Executive Presentations

  • Create clear, executive-ready materials that turn complex data into concise narratives that drive business decisions

  • Build and present materials for both global and U.S. leadership teams, leveraging input from cross-functional teams


Qualifications & Experience

Education

  • Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) in Marketing, Business, or a related field required

  • MBA strongly preferred


Experience

  • 5-7 years of experience in strategy, brand, marketing, consulting, or related commercial roles

  • Proven experience leading cross-functional strategic initiatives and delivering business impact


Skills & Capabilities

  • Strong strategic thinking and innovation mindset, with the ability to translate ideas into execution

  • Advanced storytelling and presentation skills; expertise in building executive-level decks

  • Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities


  • Demonstrated ability to influence, align diverse stakeholders, and drive decision making

  • Strong business acumen with understanding of end-to-end operations and P&L dynamics

  • Ability to operate proactively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and create clarity


Preferred Qualifications

  • Expertise in strategy development and innovation

  • Experience in commercial functions (Marketing, Strategy, Commercial Development, or Consulting)

  • Strong leadership presence with the ability to guide teams and drive outcomes


#LI-JM13

#hybrid

About Nestle

Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 2014. It ranked No. 64 on the Fortune Global 500 in 2017 and No. 33 in the 2016 edition of the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies. Nestlé's products include baby food, medical food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks. Twenty-nine of Nestlé's brands have annual sales of over 1 billion CHF, including Nespresso, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer's, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestlé has 447 factories, operates in 189 countries, and employs around 339,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company. Nestlé was formed in 1905 by the merger of the "Anglo-Swiss Milk Company", established in 1866 by brothers George and Charles Page, and "Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé", founded in 1867 by Henri Nestlé. The company grew significantly during the First World War and again following the Second World War, expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. The company has made a number of corporate acquisitions, including Crosse & Blackwell in 1950, Findus in 1963, Libby's in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, Klim in 1998, and Gerber in 2007.
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