market innovation manager

The Greek leading Biscuits & Bakery company

E.J. PAPADOPOULOS S.A. is seeking to employ a talented, driven & committed:

Market Innovation Manager to join our Marketing team, reporting to the Marketing Director. 

The role:

The Market Innovation Manager will lead the company's innovation agenda by developing and executing innovation strategies that drive sustainable business growth through new products, category expansion, and portfolio optimization. The role is responsible for managing the end-to-end innovation pipeline, identifying growth opportunities, and partnering cross-functionally to translate consumer and market insights into commercially successful solutions.

How you will contribute:

• Develop and execute the company's innovation strategy and roadmap to strengthen market competitiveness and support long-term business growth.

• Lead the end-to-end innovation pipeline, from idea generation and opportunity assessment through commercialization and post-launch review.

• Partner closely with R&D, Marketing, Sales, Operations and other cross-functional teams to develop and launch innovative products and processes.

• Collaborate with Finance, Sales and Operations to drive portfolio optimization, including product rationalization and discontinuation initiatives.

• Transform consumer, shopper and market insights into innovative product concepts and business opportunities.

• Design, implement and continuously improve a structured Stage-Gate innovation process to evaluate, prioritize and govern innovation projects.

• Facilitate ideation workshops and cross-functional innovation sessions to encourage creative thinking and identify new growth opportunities.

• Drive continuous improvement of the company's innovation capabilities by introducing new methodologies, digital tools and best practices for idea generation and innovation management.

• Monitor market trends, emerging technologies, competitive activity and consumer behavior to proactively identify innovation opportunities.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners, including market research agencies, innovation consultants, universities and other strategic collaborators.

• Develop and deliver innovation training programs and workshops that strengthen innovation capabilities across the organization and foster a culture of creativity, collaboration and continuous improvement.

• Track innovation pipeline performance and key innovation KPIs, providing regular updates and recommendations to senior leadership.

• Ensure innovation initiatives are aligned with the company's strategic objectives, commercial priorities and financial targets.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Food Science, Engineering, Innovation Management, or a related field. A Master's degree will be considered an asset.

• Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in Innovation, Product Management, Marketing, R&D, or Category Management, preferably within the FMCG industry.

• Proven track record of leading successful innovation and new product development initiatives from concept to commercialization.

• Experience translating consumer and market insights into commercially successful products and business opportunities.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple innovation projects simultaneously.

• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams

• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving capabilities with a data-driven mindset.

• Excellent presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• High level of creativity, curiosity, and passion for innovation, combined with a strong business and commercial mindset.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications; experience with innovation or project management tools is considered an advantage.

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.