Portfolio Initiatives Manager

About us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by over 27,500 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo. Our agility and entrepreneurial spirit, alongside award winning development programmes, enable innovation and success while creating exciting and rewarding career choices.

As we move forward, our customers will be at the heart of what we do, evolving to needs and expectations and committing to a more meaningful contribution to harm reduction by building a successful NGP business. Integral to our long-term success is our sustainability strategy, behaving responsibly and supporting our ambitions, all underpinned by high governance.

Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

The Role

Portfolio Initiatives Manager will be responsible for managing initiatives for a particular combustibles category (FCT or FMC). The role will report to the Head of Portfolio Planning and will support them with aligning and coordinating requirements of Imperial’s brands in each combustibles category across consumer marketing pillars (Portfolio, Consumer Marketing and Regional Marketing). The role will work closely with the Innovation pillar of the CCO organisation and MSC and will be responsible for aligning the right cross-functional resource (including setting up a taskforce, if required) to quickly respond to emerging market opportunities.

You will be responsible for briefing Manufacturing (MSC) and Innovation department with innovation / initiative requirements from central Multi-Regional Brand Management and Regional Marketing functions and will act as key contact for Innovation and MSC deployment teams for any opportunity-related queries. You will also be responsible for leading projects through stage gate process and securing business case approval through governance forums.

You will closely collaborate with other CCO sub-functions such as Multi-Regional Brand Management, Consumer Marketing and Regional and Cluster Marketing, to drive consumer centricity and to ensure optimum functional effectiveness.

Principal Accountabilities

• Ensure that initiatives in your respective combustibles category (FMC or FCT) are developed on time and prioritised according to key business strategic objectives and commercial needs
• Act as one point of contact for MSC, Multi-Regional Brand Management, Regional Marketing and Innovation on opportunity requirements
• Project manage innovation opportunities, setting up cross-functional taskforce (where required) to develop a solution and assessing all aspects of the solution throughout the process (incl. commercial aspects)
• Provide regular updates on initiatives to Brand and Regional Marketing teams
• Lead preparation of business cases based on input and prioritisation provided by Regional Marketing and / or Multi-Regional Brand Management, secure business case approval through governance forums
• Responsible for leading projects through stage gate process

Key Capabilities

• Business Case Development
• Project management
• Process governance
• Consumer insight
• Portfolio strategy

Key Relationships

Internal

• Multi-Regional Brand Management
• Regional and Cluster marketing
• Consumer Marketing
• Innovation
• Global Insight
• Finance
• IT
• Legal
• People & Culture
• MSC

External

• Third party agencies
• Third party data suppliers
• Communication and pack agencies

Skills & Experience

Essential:

• Educated to degree level in relevant field
• Outstanding English verbal, written and interpersonal communications skill
• Highly commercial
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• Strong portfolio and marketing strategy skills
• Experience of using consumer and market insight to drive commercial gain
• Highly collaborative
• Sector experience across FMCG
• Experience with manufacturing process and requirements

Desirable:

• Tobacco sector experience

What we offer

Imperial Brands offer a competitive package of salary, bonus scheme, pension and 25 days holiday (with an additional 4 days on top to cover the Christmas period and bank holidays) and hybrid work.

Next steps

Interested applicants should apply with their CV highlighting their suitability for the role.