Data, Digital & AI Product Director

Short Intro and About the Job

Danone France is not trying to be the best company in the world, but the best company for the world! That's why all 26 of our brands in France are B Corp™ certified. B Corp is the compass that guides our CSR strategy! This certification allows us to challenge ourselves, continually improve and measure our social and environmental performance. 

Danone's research and innovation (R&I) centre, located in Gif-sur-Yvette on the Saclay plateau, is a global center of excellence dedicated to food innovation research. Inaugurated in 2023, this ultra-modern center is at the heart of one of the world's leading scientific hubs. It is home to more than 500 passionate experts of 40 different nationalities, working in the fields of life sciences, health and nutrition, consumer experience and the development of tomorrow's products. Equipped with laboratories and pilot facilities, it supports innovation and development. The Danone R&I Center is part of a global research ecosystem designed to foster collaboration with food technology start-ups and accelerate innovation in partnership with consumers and food and health stakeholders. 

DDAI (Data, Digital & AI) is one of the strategic pillars of Danone’s global R&I transformation. It exists to accelerate how we innovate — by embedding digital, data and artificial intelligence into every step of our scientific, product, and operational workflows. DDAI enables R&I teams to deliver faster, better, and more confidently, turning complex science and insights into real business impact

DDAI plays a pivotal role in:

• Accelerating innovation through digital twins, in‑silico models, advanced analytics, and GenAI tools.
• Strengthening scientific capabilities with proprietary AI models and integrated data ecosystems.
• Improving efficiency and compliance by digitizing QFS & R&I processes, enabling faster regulatory workflows.
• Upskilling the organization through the DDAI Academy and cross‑functional collaboration with IT&Data and QFS.

DDAI is building the digital, data and AI backbone of Danone R&I. Joining DDAI means joining a purpose‑driven, pioneering team at the heart of how Danone reinvents health through food, reshaping how Danone designs the next generation of products, services, and scientific breakthroughs powered by science and technology.

Position Overview :

Reporting to the Senior Director of DDAI Programs, the DDAI Product Director will:

• Lead the development and delivery of key DDAI programs, co-build the mid-term (1-3 years) strategy
• Act as a strategic partner to senior business owners within R&I, building product roadmaps and driving their execution (strategy to action).
• Inspire and engage teams behind the vision while infusing domain knowledge and technical expertise.

Key Responsibilities : 

• Drive the execution of the strategy by focusing on building and executing detailed product roadmaps and project portfolio within our key R&I flagships.
• Business Impact & Superiority: Hold accountability for delivering measurable impact on business results. Demonstrate ownership on the product, acting as the guardian of product superiority.
• Serve as a key connector and business partner, able to lead, influence, and negotiate in a matrix organization. Deliver through others, including Product Owners and agile squad teams.
• Senior Engagement: Act as a key strategic partner to senior business owners and experts, managing and arbitrating conflicting requirements to translate needs into actionable strategies.
• Market & Trends: Understand R&I trends, market and consumer dynamics. Actively seek and exchange best practices by partnering with other CBUs/departments.
• Adaptation & Change: Lead change and transformation programs. Act fast, managing risk and building mitigation plans based on cross-functional experts' inputs.

About You

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant technical, scientific, or business field.
• 10+ years of experience in digital data & AI product management, with a proven track record of bringing complex products to market.
• Deep domain expertise in a relevant field (e.g., life sciences, computational biology, AI/ML, digital health, consumer analytics) combined with a strong product vision.
• Proven expertise in Agile product management leadership, including experience with building roadmaps, feature prioritization, and managing product lifecycles.
• Demonstrated transverse leadership skills, with the ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and product owners without direct managerial authority.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience partnering effectively with senior business leaders to define product strategy.
• Experience working in a complex, matrixed organization, preferably within an R&I, CPG, or pharmaceutical environment.

About Us, We offer and What's next

We are proud to promote diversity and equal opportunities within our teams. We believe that our differences make a difference and that an inclusive working environment will stimulate our growth as a company, as teams and as individuals. We will therefore consider all applications*, promoting an inclusive working culture where everyone can feel they belong. 

We have also decided to remove inclusive writing from our job offers because its complexity penalises people with cognitive disabilities, such as dyslexia, dysphasia or apraxia. 

*All applications will be considered regardless of origin, background, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability... 

One Planet, One Health - BY YOU! 

Our four ‘HOPE’ values: HUMANISM, OPENNESS, PROXIMITY and ENTHUSIASM serve as our compass. 

Every day, you will make decisions that have an impact on our economic and social performance, as well as on our ability to achieve our ambitions. At Danone, you can simply be yourself. We believe it's up to YOU to define the way you work, develop and grow. With us, you'll work in a challenging, authentic and caring environment.