Job Purpose
The Assistant Innovation Manager will support the development and execution of HBE’s innovation strategy and product development pipeline.
The role will be responsible for identifying new product opportunities, translating consumer and market insights into innovation concepts, coordinating new product development projects, and supporting the successful launch and commercialization of new products across the company’s portfolio.
The position will work closely with R&D, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, Trade Marketing, Finance, and other relevant functions to ensure innovation projects are delivered effectively, within agreed timelines and budgets.
Job Scope
- Support the development and execution of the company’s innovation strategy and pipeline.
- Identify new product and portfolio opportunities based on analysis, consumer needs, market trends, and competitive activity.
- Support the innovation process from opportunity identification and idea generation through concept development, testing, launch, and post-launch evaluation.
- Coordinate new product development projects with relevant cross-functional teams.
- Conduct market, category, competitor, and consumer analysis to identify innovation opportunities.
- Support the development of business cases and commercial assessments for new products.
- Coordinate product testing, sampling, consumer feedback, and concept validation.
- Support product launches and commercialization activities.
- Track project timelines, budgets, milestones, risks, and deliverables.
- Analyze post-launch performance and consumer feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Maintain accurate documentation and reporting throughout the innovation project lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
- Innovation Strategy & Opportunity Identification
- Support the development and implementation of the annual innovation pipeline.
- Identify opportunities for new products, product extensions, renovations, and new categories.
- Monitor market trends, consumer preferences, emerging technologies, and competitor innovation.
- Conduct category and portfolio analysis to identify gaps and growth opportunities.
- Translate market and consumer insights into actionable innovation opportunities.
- Support innovation workshops, ideation sessions, and opportunity-generation activities.
- New Product Development
- Support the development of new product concepts from initial idea through commercialization.
- Prepare product concepts, initial business cases, and project briefs.
- Coordinate with R&D to develop and refine product formulations and prototypes.
- Coordinate product testing, sampling, sensory evaluation, and consumer feedback.
- Follow up on product specifications, packaging requirements, costing, and technical requirements.
- Support the development of product positioning, naming, packaging, and launch requirements.
- Ensure innovation projects remain aligned with consumer needs and commercial objectives.
- Market & Consumer Insights
- Conduct market and competitor research to identify trends, opportunities, and potential threats.
- Monitor consumer preferences, purchasing behavior, and emerging needs.
- Analyze available market data and consumer research to support innovation decisions.
- Gather feedback from consumers, Sales, Trade Marketing, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Translate consumer and market insights into product concepts and innovation opportunities.
- Support consumer research and concept validation activities.
- Innovation Project Management
- Manage assigned innovation projects and ensure key milestones are achieved within agreed timelines.
- Develop and maintain project timelines, action plans, and milestone trackers.
- Coordinate effectively with R&D, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, Finance, and other stakeholders.
- Follow up on approvals, dependencies, deliverables, and potential project risks.
- Identify delays or challenges and escalate them when required.
- Prepare regular project updates and management presentations.
- Maintain complete and accurate innovation project documentation.
- Product Launch & Commercialization
- Support the development and execution of new product launch plans.
- Coordinate with Sales, Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, Production, and other functions to ensure launch readiness.
- Follow up on product availability, packaging, production, distribution, and other commercialization requirements.
- Support the preparation of launch materials and internal communication.
- Monitor initial product performance following launch.
- Collect market and consumer feedback and identify required improvements.
- Post-Launch Evaluation
- Track the performance of newly launched products against agreed objectives.
- Analyze sales performance, consumer feedback, distribution, and other relevant KPIs.
- Conduct post-launch reviews and identify key learnings.
- Recommend product improvements, modifications, or further development opportunities.
- Feed post-launch learnings back into the innovation pipeline.
- Budget & Performance Tracking
- Support the preparation and monitoring of innovation project budgets.
- Track project-related expenses against approved budgets.
- Support product costing and commercial feasibility assessments.
- Prepare performance reports and highlight key variances, risks, and opportunities.
- Ensure innovation projects are delivered within agreed financial parameters.
Job Requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Economics, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- An MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
Experience
- 2–5 years of experience in Innovation, Research, New Product Development, Product Management, Marketing, or a related FMCG function.
- Experience within the FMCG or Food & Beverage industry is a must.
- Previous experience in new product development and/or product launches is preferred.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams is required.
- Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously is preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of innovation and new product development processes.
- Good understanding of the FMCG and consumer goods environment.
- Strong market research and consumer insight capabilities.
- Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
- Good understanding of product development and commercialization processes.
- Strong presentation and business-reporting skills.
- Good knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Ability to develop business cases and evaluate commercial opportunities.
Core Competencies
- Innovation and creative thinking.
- Consumer-focused mindset.
- Strong commercial awareness.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Strong project management capabilities.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Cross-functional collaboration.
- Stakeholder management.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Proactive and results-oriented approach.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Number and quality of innovation opportunities identified.
- Innovation pipeline development and progression.
- Successful and timely delivery of new product development projects.
- Adherence to innovation project timelines and milestones.
- Successful commercialization and launch of new products.
- Post-launch performance of new products.
- Innovation project budget adherence.
- Quality and utilization of consumer and market insights.
- Effectiveness of cross-functional project execution.
- Product development and launch cycle time.
- Contribution of new products to portfolio growth.
