R&D Global Skin Cleansing Men's Packaging Manager

Background & Purpose of the Job 

Unilever is a global Fast-Moving Consumer Goods company with powerful brands like Dove, Dove Men’s + Care, Axe, Vaseline, Hellman’s, Knorr, and Seventh Generation.  We create products that enrich and improve people’s lives today and for the changing environment tomorrow – aiming to make sustainable living commonplace.  Unilever brings purpose, joy and delightful experiences to consumers and customers 

Unilever recognizes Packaging as a critical part of the product mix. Not only does it fulfil a very important functional role, to contain, protect and inform, but also as the first “touchpoint” with the consumer; it must engage the consumer, reflecting the brand proposition, and delivering a delightful experience. To ensure the robustness and technical performance of new packaging before it is placed on the marketplace involves both design and technical innovation in packaging. 

The Personal Care Category is seeking a dynamic, flexible, and innovative packaging leader for the Global Men’s Skin Cleansing Packaging team.  The job holder will work closely with the Global Skin Cleansing Associate Packaging Director for development & strategy of the Men’s Skin Cleansing packaging portfolio and to develop and nurture a collaborative team culture across the Men’s packaging team.  

Working closely with other Unilever functions as part of a cross-functional team, the job holder will be the packaging workstream leader on multiple high complexity global and/or NA specific projects in tandem, developing consumer and customer preferred packaging designs. The job holder will be expected to maximise the use of design tools and deliver projects using Unilever project tools (IPM, Functional Excellence, 1Unilever Packaging Process). The job holder can often be a Technical Project Leader, responsible for the delivery of all the R&D programme on a project. 

This position will also support existing business through packaging revisions, cost improvement projects, planet positive projects, and packaging simplification projects. They must bring the necessary technical skill/expertise, passion for winning, owner’s mindset and project management rigor to deliver packaging innovation projects and related workstream activities in a dynamic environment and on time in full. 

This position will interface with Brand Development, Package Design teams, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product development, Processing, CTI, CMI, and Packaging Suppliers, in order to drive consumer focused innovative and optimised packaging solutions. 

The person in this role must possess the ability to anticipate technical issues and prepare risk mitigation plans to address.  The ability to communicate, collaborate and influence effectively with technical and non-technical peers and stakeholders is essential. Must have demonstrated ability to present information to both technical and non-technical audiences and can use a range of communication styles according to the audience and situation.   

The job holder will have WL1 junior packaging engineer reports and will be required to manage their business goals, and development plan 

In addition to programme delivery, the job holder will build team and talent sharing technical expertise within the team, the way of working with other functions, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the team. The job holder will also have responsibility for driving Unilever’s packaging excellence best practices into the way of working in the category.  

Main Accountabilities: 

• Packaging workstream leader, working with Brand Development and the cross functional project team, ensuring packaging is fit for purpose to meet the packaging brief, and delivered on time, in full  
   

• Deliver packaging which not only meets the required quality and technical standards, but also delights the consumer and builds brand love, through using Unilever’s Packaging Excellence best practices 

• Development of complex custom delivery systems which deliver key consumer benefit and open up new market spaces and address business needs from premiumization to plant positive solutions 

• To help develop packaging capability within the team, and lead relevant group activities, at both a packaging, and at a category R&D, level 
   

• Where assigned, to be the Technical Project Leader of a project, accountable for delivery of all R&D deliverables, and managing the programme of the R&D workstream leaders assigned to the project 

• Manage, coach and develop WL1’s 

• Develop comprehensive development testing protocols for all critical aspects of pack performance and ensure pack is tested against these. 

• Budget responsibilities where relevant 

• To develop and test packaging in accordance with the One Unilever Packaging Process (1UPP), and ensure that the packaging team is fully trained and adopting the 1UPP. 

• To comply with the Unilever Code of Business Principles and all SHE and QA policies, including the support of product claims, risk management and environmental awareness 

Who You Are & What You’ll Do 

• You’re a born leader: ​Combined with many years of project management experience across both Personal Care and Skin cleansing R&D, an owner’s mindset, and a technical skillset, you will have the autonomy and drive to deliver packaging innovation and leadership by partnering with internal and external cross-functional stakeholders and partners, to delight the consumer with superior, premium, planet positive, and impactful packaging solutions fit for growth in all channels.   ​ 

• You love to win, and have fun doing it: ​  In a dynamic and ever-changing business environment, you will create magic by providing packaging that wins in the marketplace and brings a remarkable experience to the consumer.  ​ 

• You’re a changemaker: ​Challenging Status quo and bringing a fresh perspective on how to deliver projects and packaging concepts into the marketplace​ 

• You’re a culture & change champion: ​Do you know about the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan? We are looking for a team member who is passionate to discover their purpose and are free to champion it. Placing sustainability at the forefront of innovation development is expected.​ 

• You’re a dot connector: Ability to find creative ways to ensure our products are superior without compromise on sustainability and lead the way on balancing superiority, premiumization, profit and planet and ensuring future fit for channels of today and the future 

What You’ll Need To Succeed 

Key competencies:  Bias for Action, Leadership, Accountability & Responsibility, Growth Mindset, Consumer & Customer Focus, Building Talent & Teams 

Key Skills:  

• Expertise in key packaging materials for category – rigid plastics, bottles, closures, dispensers, aerosols, flexibles and paperboard and basic awareness of all packaging materials 

• Technical Specification & Supply Chain Support 

• Fully Operational Project Management Skills: Must be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of project management to realize the order, importance, and impact of appropriate project activities and maintain packaging commitments to project scheduling.   

• Fully operational knowledge of the package development process and engineering principles 

• Ability to negotiate and clearly and concisely communicate timelines, deliverables and project risks on cross functional teams 

• Ability to navigate all relevant-to-role digital systems and authoring documentati

• B.S Degree (Packaging Science or Engineering equivalent)  

• Understanding of consumer, business, category, and channel needs and the relationship to packaging decisions & execution; An entrepreneurial mindset is advantageous.  

Relevant Experience:  

• Minimum 7+ years in R&D packaging development within Personal Care, Beauty & Wellbeing or Prestige categories within both regional and global experience 

• Technical Project Lead experience on multiple complex innovation programs 

• Project Management experience with a proven track record of delivering multiple projects in tandem in a fast paced environment 

• Experience as the R&D lead responsible for a complex brand program   

• Highly Skilled and Experienced in managing and coaching people