Innovation Lead - Food Industry

Innovation Lead:

The Innovation Lead will be responsible for driving company's innovation agenda across products, packaging, cuisine development, and consumer-centric solutions. The role will lead the end-to-end innovation lifecycle from identifying market opportunities and consumer needs to product development, commercialization, portfolio expansion, and value optimization. Working closely with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Quality teams, the incumbent will build a sustainable innovation pipeline that strengthens company's market leadership, drives profitable growth, and delivers differentiated consumer experiences.

Innovation Strategy & Portfolio Development:

• Develop and execute long-term product, packaging, and culinary innovation roadmaps aligned with business strategy and growth objectives.
• Identify whitespace opportunities, emerging consumer trends, and adjacent categories to drive portfolio expansion.

Product & Packaging Innovation:

• Lead end-to-end product and packaging development initiatives from concept generation through commercialization.
• Ensure timely delivery of innovation and optimization projects while meeting quality, cost, and consumer acceptance parameters.

Innovation Governance:

• Own and continuously improve the Innovation Stage-Gate process across all innovation projects.
• Establish clear governance, project prioritization, milestone reviews, and performance tracking mechanisms.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment and accountability throughout the innovation lifecycle.

Consumer Insights & Market Intelligence:

• Partner closely with Marketing and Consumer Insights teams to translate consumer needs into actionable innovation opportunities.
• Leverage consumer research, sensory studies, and usage behavior insights to guide product development.

Product Benchmarking & Competitive Advantage:

• Continuously benchmark competing products and emerging market offerings on functionality, quality, pricing, and consumer value.
• Identify opportunities to replicate, improve, renovate, or differentiate MTR's portfolio.

Cost and Value Engineering:

• Partner with Procurement, Manufacturing, and Marketing teams to identify and execute cost reduction and value engineering opportunities.
• Optimize formulations, ingredients, packaging formats, and processes to improve margins without compromising consumer experience.

Cuisine Research & Culinary Innovation:

• Develop short-term and long-term roadmaps for cuisine studies, recipe development, and culinary exploration.
• Build a deep understanding of regional, ethnic, and emerging food preferences to strengthen MTR's product portfolio.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

• Lead and mentor innovation teams, fostering a culture of creativity, experimentation, and execution excellence.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders to accelerate innovation delivery and business impact.
• Represent the innovation function in senior leadership forums and strategic planning discussions.