Africa Research and Development Leader at PZ Cussons

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities

What this role is responsible / accountable for delivering

• Coaching and Personal Development of each individual within Africa R&D Team (~12 people) – identifying and building on their strengths and guiding them through focused development conversations to allow them to fulfill their potential. Identifying and implementing the shifts required to create a high performing Africa R&D organization. Leadership of all programs across both product and packaging development to serve the needs of the 4 brands of the Africa business (Morning Fresh, Cussons Baby, Robb, Venus & Premier Cool Deo).  This will include:
• Delivering the Pipeline of projects and Fuelling the funnel of future innovation/opportunities.
• Identifying and building the capabilities required to deliver the current and future NPD plans.
• Supporting and Coaching team members through the successful development and delivery of projects to market. 
• Dimensionalising and communicating opportunities and risk to multifunctional partners to facilitate appropriate business decisions.
• Drive consumer and competitive understanding against a ruthless pursuit of consumer value and technical points of difference which have both relevance and resonance for our brands.
• Identification of ‘Continuous Improvement’ opportunities for our propositions in terms of consumer value, manufacturing efficiency and of course cost savings/avoidance.
• Being the Respected Voice of R&D/Technical Community within the Africa business. Developing and embedding the overall Africa R&D Technical Strategy via coaching and guidance of the team who have begun to build this.  Including
• Clearly articulating ‘Where to Play’ Choices and key strategic development projects.
• Gaining multifunctional alignment to choices.
• Securing the resources required to deliver on the development projects.
• Engagement and providing guidance with respect to regulatory affairs
• Governance of the budget for all Africa R&D activities.

Knowledge/Qualifications - Technical/Professional Experience:

What exactly is required?

R&D/Innovation Program and Organisational/Team Leadership

• 10 + years experience in designing and delivering consumer delighting products and/or Packs to market in relevant FMCG category (eg. Beauty/Personal Care, Consumer Health, Food & Beverages).  Ideally including experience of
  • Simultaneously managing a portfolio of multiple brands and their differing consumer targets.
  • Both internally and externally developed products/packs.
  • Creating propositions across different price tiers.
  • Different innovation/project types from those with potential for disruption to cost optimisation (and everything in between)
• Leadership of a team of at least 5 R&D’ers.

Outstanding People and Organisational Development.

• Track record of identifying and realising the potential of individuals and teams working in Innovation/R&D/Technical domains.
• Experience of designing and evolving innovation organisations and capabilities to support the changing needs of a business.
• Recognised builder of productive, successful and happy teams and experienced in leading them through change.

Driving business impact and Influence of R&D.

• Track record of forging strong and productive partnerships with multifunctional counterparts especially Marking and Sales/Commercial and leveraging these relationships to drive value from R&D and overall influence on the direction of the business.
• Ability to translate technical complexity and highly scientific concepts into compelling communication for a variety of audiences (internal and external) and as a result generate excitement and buy in to R&D possibilities (technologies, products, packs, materials, consumer opportunity spaces etc. etc.)
• Significant experience in appropriately dimensionalising levels of technical risk to contribute to multifunctional decision making.

Innovation Strategy Development & Ambidextrous Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to connect consumer and business needs to technology possibilities across a portfolio of projects, simultaneously balancing both short and long term priorities/horizons.
• Experience of defining consumer/business relevant innovation ‘hunting grounds’/opportunity spaces and using this thinking to establish new development projects and feed a funnel of innovation/New Product/Pack Development.  

Consumer Insight

• Experience in turning consumer data into insight and leveraging this and community/human/consumer design to develop clearly differentiated product and/or packaging experiences. 
• Ability to translate consumer needs & dreams into tangible technical product/pack design elements.
• Quantitative and Qualitative research design and analysis experience would be a bonus.

Technical Expertise/Experience

• Ability to make unobvious technical connections – demonstrated through eg. Identifying a technology from another category and tailoring to a specific consumer need.
• Claims Support – Demonstrated ability to develop compelling and differentiated claims which capture both the hearts and minds of consumers and differentiate vs. competition.  Experience of developing ‘right sized’ technical claims support strategies which appropriately balance risk vs. resource.
• Ideally
  • Experience in developing opportunities for sustainable product/pack design.
  • Experience in using technical modelling to increase productivity, reduce program timings and quantify/reduce risk.
  • Knowledge, experience and connections into external innovation ecosystems in relevant technology spaces (eg. Start ups, RM/Packaging Suppliers, Universities, Research Institutes etc. etc.)