Foods people love. Brands people trust. And a career that nourishes your future like no other.

If you're driven by the passion to do something meaningful that changes lives, Nestlé is the place for you. Nestlé USA is one of seven operating companies that make up Nestlé’s presence in the United States. We're in 97% of American homes, and as the leading food and beverage company, our goals are to continue to deliver quality food and beverage products, strengthen our local communities, and reduce our environmental and climate impact.

We’re determined to challenge the status quo and be better tomorrow than we are today. As individuals and teams, we embrace our entrepreneurial culture and have created a workplace where collaboration is essential, courage is rewarded, speed is expected, and agility is the norm to delight our consumers every single day. Here, you will find limitless opportunities to learn and advance your career and feel empowered to succeed in the workplace and beyond. Because our focus is not only on nourishing our customers, but also about enriching you.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

POSITION SUMMARY: 
Do you want to be a driver in building a healthier future with the world’s largest Food and Beverage Company?  We empower you to explore, create, and challenge what is possible in developing and launching “new to the world” healthy consumer solutions, while you build a culture of innovation and experimentation. 

As a Manager of Innovation, you are responsible for creating incremental and sustainable growth, build future capabilities and drive a culture of innovation that complements Nestlé USA’s core businesses. You will need to “think big and act small” by supporting transformational innovation initiatives in a lean environment from idea to execution. This role is accountable for developing and leading Nestlé’s enterprise-wide crowdsourcing initiatives from conception of challenges, managements of programs, and execution of projects, working in close collaboration with senior leadership, strategy team, cross-functional teams, and communications with both speed and agility. As part of this role, you will also be accountable for relationship management with strategic suppliers, start ups to connect early innovation and growth opportunities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 
Strategy

• Design and lead a multi-year pipeline of challenges that fit strategic and divisional business objectives. This pipeline will include a balance of breakthrough innovation challenges, non-product ideation, problem solving, eliminating cost/waste and refine ways of working.
• Design and lead Open Innovation initiatives 
• Design & refine execution process of the challenges: From kick-off through pitch day AND from selection to launch.
• Analysis and presentation of partnering opportunities & innovation areas to leadership team and R&D
• Design a strategic approach in staffing of the ideas and plan the resources.
• Manage geographic expansion, share best practices & align with global team on guidelines. 

Execution 

• Lead, coach and drive the generation of commercially and financially viable innovation ideas and prototypes in collaboration with cross functional teams and division leaders and external experts.
• Oversee timing and activities that lead up to the end of the internal accelerator program
• Manage governance process, funds and centralized budget to execute the green-lit ideas. Ensure backfills and lead founders through the process of MVP
• Design “playbooks” & guidelines on how to execute “small-scale tests” and big transformational ideas 

Change Management / Communications 

• Actively communicates with cross-functional leadership and upper management on providing direction of the overall initiative and making set up the finalist ideas for success.
• Working closely with the internal communications team, design a plan to communicate all challenges. 
• Motivate and inspire functions by creating an innovation culture. Be the innovation coach.

SUPERVISION GIVEN: Leads project teams, comprised of both internal and external cross-functional resources 
FINANCIAL/STRATEGIC IMPACT: Drive growth through new product launches incremental to Nestlé’s existing innovation pipeline
 

REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM EDUCATION LEVEL: 

• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ Years’ Experience 
• 3+ years proven experience in innovation roles and strategy experience at a matrix organization 
• Travel Requirements – 10-15%
• Location requirement – Arlington, Virginia

EXPERIENCE:

• Has worked and flourished in entrepreneurial environment with proven record on building a culture of innovation across different teams/ functions  
• Proven results track record (High performer)
• Extraordinary leadership skills
• Strong General Management acumen
• Project management experience of 5+ years 

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES
GENERAL:

• Strong bias for action and results
• Curiosity and ingenuity
• Is seeking to promote teams and individuals to think and act as an entrepreneur. 
• Collaborative – innate ability to connect & work with a “ONE TEAM” mentality
• Agile – an ability to adapt to change and quickly pivot 
• Courage – be brave to challenge the status quo and be decisive with limited information
• Speed – focuses exclusively on value-added work, always looking to cut inefficiencies to drive speed
• Consumer-Obsessed
• Resourceful – ability to think and act as an entrepreneur
• Ability to influence others at the highest levels
• Strong communications skills, both oral and written.
• Possess excellent creative problem solving skills

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role.  In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities.  Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

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