Commercial Innovation Manager

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Position reporting Line:

Head: Commercial Planning; Activation & Innovation

Job purpose:

Lead the end-to-end commercial innovation and new business development pipeline across the Consumer portfolio, driving strategic innovation from opportunity identification through launch and post-launch review. Partner across functions to deliver commercially viable, compliant and execution-ready innovations that accelerate growth, optimize the portfolio and ensure supply continuity.

Key job outputs:

Innovation & Portfolio Management

• Lead innovation, renovation, acquisition, in-licensing, site-transfer, dual-sourcing and portfolio optimisation projects from concept to post-launch review.
• Support business cases and commercial feasibility assessments including ROI, profitability, COGS, route to market and strategic fit.
• Partner with Brand and Commercial teams to translate portfolio strategy/gap analysis into executable innovation plans.

Project Governance & Launch Excellence

• Manage the innovation gate process from Gate 0 to GTM.
• Drive launch readiness, forecasting, artwork, claims, packaging and customer listing activities.
• Coordinate pre-launch, go-live and post-launch reviews.
• Prepare executive-ready updates, governance packs and risk dashboards.
• Identify, escalate and mitigate regulatory, quality, technical, supply and commercial risks.

Cross-functional & External Collaboration

• Drive alignment across Marketing, RA, QA, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales, Manufacturing and external partners.
• Ensure technical readiness, documentation flow, stock planning, release requirements and delivery to plan.
• Build and manage supplier, licensing and third-party partnerships.

Continuous Improvement

• Continuously improve innovation processes, governance, project tools, dashboards, templates and reporting.

People Management & Leadership

• Supervise and provide guidance to direct report(s).
• Set clear performance standards and objectives and drive performance.
• Actively lead by example and champion diversity and inclusion in everyday actions and decisions.
• Model and entrench the values of the organization.
• Drive a positive, performance-driven culture.
• Coach and develop employee(s).

Core competencies:

• Strategic commercial innovation and NBD leadership

• End-to-end project, pipeline and gate governance management

• Cross-functional stakeholder alignment and influencing

• Commercial, financial and analytical acumen

• Risk identification, escalation and mitigation

• Launch readiness, executional excellence and continuous improvement

• Executive communication, reporting and decision support

• People leadership, coaching and team development

• Supplier, partner and third-party stakeholder management

• Regulatory, quality and compliance awareness

• Planning, prioritization and delivery discipline in a complex environment

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in commercial innovation, new business development, product launch execution, portfolio management or complex cross-functional project management.

• Experience within the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, FMCG or regulated product environment is essential.

• Appropriate tertiary qualification in Business, Marketing, Sciences, Pharmacy, Project Management or a related commercial discipline.

• Advanced Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills with the ability to prepare executive-ready presentations, business cases and governance documentation.

• Experience using project management and collaboration tools.

• Experience managing a team is preferred.

***Closing Date of the advert is 30 July 2026***