Global Marketing Innovation Development Lead

Location: Aimargues, near Montpellier (France)

Type of contract : Permanent (CDI)

Entity: Royal Canin SAS

The Global Marketing Innovation Development Lead is a key architect of Royal Canin's growth agenda, transforming strategic opportunities into winning innovations across the Healthy Pet and Sick Pet portfolios. By leading the development and execution of the global, omnichannel innovation pipeline, this role accelerates growth, strengthens portfolio competitiveness, and delivers meaningful value for pets, pet owners, veterinarians, customers, and the business.

What are we looking for? 

• Master's degree in Marketing, Business, Innovation, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in FMCG/CPG, Nutrition, Health Care, or recommendation-led industries, with a strong track record in innovation and strategic marketing.
• Demonstrated success in developing and launching winning innovations that drive growth, strengthen brand equity, and deliver measurable business impact.
• Strong strategic thinking and consumer-centric mindset, with the ability to translate insights into compelling value propositions and market-leading solutions.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects and influence senior stakeholders across functions, geographies, and organizational levels.
• Inspiring people leader with experience coaching and developing talent, fostering high performance, collaboration, and accountability.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to align teams behind a common vision and drive decisions through influence.
• Agile, results-driven, and purpose-led professional with strong business acumen, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for delivering innovation excellence
  

What will be your key responsibilities? 

The Global Marketing Innovation Development Lead plays a critical role in shaping and delivering Royal Canin's global innovation agenda across the Healthy Pet and Sick Pet portfolios. Acting at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and execution, this role transforms growth opportunities into distinctive nutritional solutions that strengthen Royal Canin's leadership, drive preference and recommendation, and deliver superior pet health outcomes worldwide.

Your key responsabilities :

Innovation Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the development and commercialization of Royal Canin's innovation and renovation pipeline across Healthy Pet and Sick Pet portfolios.
• Transform strategic opportunities into distinctive, science-led nutritional solutions that drive growth, recommendation, preference, and category leadership.
• Build winning product propositions through superior consumer relevance, compelling claims, strong RTBs, and best-in-class product & packaging design.
• Lead or co-lead transformational projects such as Claims strategy, Brand & Portfolio Architecture etc….
• Drive innovation sufficiency and targeted business outcomes while accelerating speed, quality, and execution excellence.
• Lead complex global cross-functional programs, ensuring projects are delivered On Time, In Full, and Right First Time.
• Embed sustainability, compliance, and value optimization across the innovation lifecycle.

Innovation & Process Excellence

• Act as a champion of the QUEST innovation process, ensuring rigorous application of governance, quality standards, tools, and ways of working.
• Role model innovation excellence and drive continuous improvement of innovation processes, governance, and team effectiveness.
• Prepare and contribute to key governance forums and decision-making milestones, including S&OP+ reviews, and other strategic innovation discussions.
• Ensure all projects comply with established procedures, regulations, legislation, and quality requirements globally.
• Promote operational excellence, and efficient ways of working to accelerate speed, quality, and collaboration.
• Act as a pivotal connector across the innovation ecosystem, fostering alignment and facilitating decision-making across functions and stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and inspire Junior Innovation Managers, creating a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure optimal allocation of talent, resources, and project workload to maximize team effectiveness and business impact.
• Build innovation, project management, and operational capabilities across the team to support future growth ambitions.
• Foster an environment that encourages agility, learning, innovation excellence, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Serve as a role model for Royal Canin values, leadership behaviors, and a culture of innovation.

What can you expect from Mars? 

• Work with  diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.  
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today. 
• You will work in a unique campus, which gathers more than 800 Associates working for: the international HQ, the French subsidiary, two laboratories, a kennel and a cattery with more than 200 cats & dogs, and finally the most important factory of the Royal Canin group 
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University. 

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