NPD Project Manager
Greater London – Hybrid
£49,000 - £53,000 + Car Allowance + Package
The Advocate Group is a leading recruitment partner to the FMCG and consumer product sectors. We are seeking a seasoned and ambitious NPD Project Manager to lead groundbreaking initiatives for a growing leader within the drinks industry.
About the Role:
* Lead the New Product Development (NPD) portfolio for a part of the EMEA region.
* Collaborate with internal and external commercial and operations teams to manage project intake and alignment.
* Ensure On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) delivery of NPD projects by addressing challenges and through a disciplined project management approach.
Key Responsibilities:
* NPD Portfolio Ownership:
o Own the NPD portfolio for a part of the EMEA region.
o Collaborate with internal and external commercial and operations teams managing project intake and alignment.
o Ensure OTIF delivery of NPD projects by addressing challenges and through a disciplined project management approach.
* Project Scoping and Planning:
o Collaborate with stakeholders to define commercial, technical and operational requirements and success criteria.
o Lead project scoping exercises to identify deliverables and milestones.
o Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and manage project interdependencies.
* Manage the Complete End-to-End Delivery of NPD Projects:
o Collaborate with upstream US HQ based NPD teams on product development initiatives.
o Ensure timely delivery of accurate Bill of Material data and manage effective flow of information representing NPD through the S&OP process.
o Liaise with bottling partners and co-packers ensuring timely commercialization of projects through weekly calls.
* Leadership of Cross-Divisional Project Team Delivery:
o Lead the cross-divisional project team, providing direction and guidance through regular project calls and effective action tracking.
o Maintain pace by ensuring team adherence to project timelines and deadlines.
o Prioritize tasks and activities to align with project goals and objectives.
* Stakeholder Management:
o Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external multi-regional stakeholders.
o Facilitate effective collaboration and trust among project teams ensuring clarity through clear written and verbal communication, respecting different cultures.
o Provide timely and prioritized information to stakeholders and management to enable informed decisions and effective escalation of critical issues.
* Risk Management:
o Identify potential risks and prioritize them based on their impact and likelihood.
o Develop risk management strategies and prioritize mitigation plans accordingly.
o Enable the rapid resolution of high-priority risks to minimize their impact on project objectives.
* Adherence to Project Management Tools and Processes:
o Utilize project management tools and processes to plan, execute, and monitor projects.
o Maintain accurate and up-to-date information in the project management system.
o Ensure end-to-end timings, milestones, and risks are documented for stage and gate governance.
* Utilize Data Analysis and Reporting:
o Create and utilize reports to analyze large amounts of data.
o Prioritize data analysis efforts based on project objectives and requirements.
o Draw conclusions and make recommendations based on prioritized data insights.
* Contribution to Continuous Improvement:
o Identify opportunities to enhance departmental processes and workflows.
o Prioritize improvement initiatives based on potential impact and feasibility.
o Collaborate with team members to implement prioritized improvements.
* Maintain Comprehensive Knowledge of the Full NPD Process:
o Stay updated on the end-to-end project delivery process.
o Prioritize learning and development activities to enhance NPD process knowledge.
o Provide guidance and expertise on NPD process-related matters to project team members.
Your Profile:
* 5+ years' experience in commercialization project management, preferably in the consumer goods industry.
* Higher education qualification in a relevant scientific or business management discipline is desired.
* Formal project management qualification is desired.
* Experience in project management techniques/tools is required, including managing within a stage and gate process.
* An accomplished communicator – clear, considered, succinct, and flexible in style.
* Business and commercial acumen to prioritize, challenge, support, and influence with a program mindset to deliver optimum outcome.
* Experience in managing technical project delivery through upstream product development and downstream supply chain planning to production cycle. Experience of working in SAP is desired.
* Competent in data analysis in Excel.
* Highly organized and rigorous, able to effectively manage end-to-end projects in parallel at pace.
* Sense of urgency, ability to multitask, attention to detail but also ability to see the bigger picture.
* Ability to take ownership and responsibility for a project team/process.
* Proven track record of business sense to quickly gain an understanding of the company structure, stakeholders, intercompany processes.
* Resilient and able to deal with ambiguity.
* Ability to perform under pressure.
* Self-starter that can question/challenge information being given, identify gaps, and areas for improvements.
* Positive attitude to create enthusiasm in a very busy team.
* Comfortable with change in a department and company which is rapidly developing.
The Advocate Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. By applying for this role, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy, which can be found on our website. Please note that The Advocate Group is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.