DANONE is a global food and nutrition company holding top positions in healthy food through its four businesses: Essential Plant based and dairy products, Specialized Nutrition and Waters. Our mission, bringing health through food to as many people as possible, embodies commitment to human progress and business success, adding purpose to nearly 90,000 Danoners daily.
You will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good. One Planet. One Health.
For passionate people looking for autonomy and exciting career opportunities, Danone truly has something special inside
Context & Role Rationale
Dairy Protein is a strategic growth pillar for Danone. As consumer expectations evolve around protein quality, performance, metabolic health, healthy aging, the category requires strong, science-backed, consumer-centric innovation at scale.
Within Danone’s new Research & Innovation (R&I) operating model, this role is a senior strategic leadership position, embedded in the Global R&I Categories FMCG team. The role is designed to shape and co-build the category strategy, to translate our Science & Technology assets into a category roadmap, and to lead global projects, ensuring innovation delivers differentiation, scale, and growth impact.
This is not a product development role or a regional execution role. It is a global R&I leadership role, operating at the interface of science, categories, and zones. Requiring strong conviction-based influencing within a complex multi layered organization,
Mission
To define, build, and deliver the Dairy Protein R&I strategy and innovation pipeline by bridging consumer insights and translating science and technology through differentiated global projects that drive innovation at scale.
The role ensures that Dairy Protein innovation is:
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Consumer-relevant and insight-led
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Scientifically credible and differentiated
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Scalable across brands and geographies
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Aligned with Danone’s nutrition, health, and sustainability ambitions
Scope of the Role
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Category: Dairy Protein platform (Global scope)
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Geographic reach: Global, with strong interaction with lead markets and regions
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Innovation horizon: Mid and long term (exploration through to commercialization)
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Operating model: Global R&I Categories, in strong interdependence with Advanced Technology, Regional / Zone R&I teams, Marketing & Global Category teams
Key Responsibilities:
Define & Drive Dairy Protein Category R&I Strategy:
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Co-own, with Marketing and Global Category leadership, the Dairy Protein innovation strategy, aligned with Danone’s growth and nutrition ambitions
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Translate category strategy into clear R&I priorities, end-to-end innovation pipeline, and capability needs
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Build and maintain mid- and long-term R&I roadmaps, balancing renovation vs. innovation vs. breakthrough
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Anticipate and integrate consumer, science, technology, and regulatory trends impacting the category
Co-Build & Orchestrate the Dairy Protein Innovation Pipeline:
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Own the end-to-end Dairy Protein innovation pipeline, from exploration to commercialization readiness
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Ensure the pipeline is: Consumer-centric and insight-led, Scientifically differentiated and credible, Designed for multi-market scalability
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Drive portfolio choices and prioritization, focusing on projects with the highest strategic and growth impact
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Ensure alignment and coherence between global platforms/projects and regional pipelines
Lead Global Projects at Scale:
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Lead or co-lead global Dairy Protein innovation/renovation projects, from early concept framing through scale-up and deployment with regions
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Ensure projects are designed for innovation at scale, not single-market optimization
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Act as the R&I orchestrator for global projects, coordinating Advanced R&I teams, Regional R&I teams, Marketing and other key functions
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Support regions in adapting and deploying global platforms while preserving strategic intent and differentiation
Commercialize Science & Technology for Differentiation:
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Act as a bridge between Advanced R&I and category/business needs
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Translate complex science and technology into: Clear innovation platforms, Credible benefits and claims, Compelling consumer value propositions
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Ensure Dairy Protein innovation leverages Danone’s scientific and technological assets to build sustainable competitive advantage
Drive Categories FMCG R&I Governance & Ways of Working:
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Play an active role in R&I FMCG Categories governance and decision-making
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Ensure strong application of the innovation and stage-gate ways of working across Dairy Protein projects
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Promote transparency, discipline, and pace while preserving creativity and ambition
Stakeholder Management, Influencing & One-R&I Mindset:
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Act as a trusted R&I thought partner to Marketing/Global Category, and Business leaders
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Influence without direct authority through: Strong points of view, Fact-based recommendations, Clear framing of trade-offs and decisions
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Navigate complexity, tension, and ambiguity with clarity, confidence, and credibility
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Promote a One R&I mindset, two-way dialogue, and sharing of best practices across regions
Key Interfaces:
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Global Category & Marketing leadership
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Advanced Technology/R&I teams
- Regional / Zone R&I leadership
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Regulatory Affairs
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Nutrition/Scientific/ and Regulatory Affairs
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Operations and Cycles & Procurement
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Strategy, Insights & Analytics
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Finance
