Director Global Ferrero Innovation & Total Portfolio Integration

The Director Global Ferrero Innovation & Total Portfolio Integration across the Wells brand portfolio, and other ecosystem brands from Ferrero and Ferrara plays a critical leadership role in driving our global ice cream innovation agenda in the US market while serving as the central integrator of the end‑to‑end innovation portfolio. This role ensures that global innovation strategies are translated into commercially viable, regionally relevant initiatives, and that the full innovation pipeline is clearly synthesized, prioritized, and communicated across senior leadership, cross‑functional teams, and key customers. The Director balances strategic leadership, people development, and portfolio orchestration, acting as both a builder of innovation capability and a trusted voice in high‑stakes business discussions.  This role is based out of our Chicago office, reports to the Senior Director of Innovation and has 3 direct reports: 2 Senior Brand Managers, 1 Senior Associate Brand Manager.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Lead Global Innovation Portfolio (Strategy to Execution)

   • Own the US execution of global ice cream innovation strategy, ensuring strong alignment with regional commercial priorities and growth objectives.

   • Serve as the primary liaison between the global and US based innovation teams to identify & address pipeline sufficiency risks, gaps, and opportunities.
     

2. Innovation Portfolio Integration & Executive Communication

   • Serve as the single point of synthesis for the full ice cream innovation portfolio across brands, platforms, and time horizons including long-term planning.

   • Lead the development of clear, compelling portfolio narratives, business cases & project progress for leadership forums and key customer engagements.
     

3. People Leadership

   • Lead, coach, and develop two Senior Brand Managers accountable for global innovation initiatives, ensuring strong strategic thinking, prioritization, and execution.

   • Lead and develop a Senior Associate Brand Manager responsible for innovation analysis and long-term planning & reporting.

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EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.

EXPERIENCE: 10-15 years of experience in brand management, innovation, or marketing leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Proven experience of leading complex cross-functional initiatives from strategy to commercialization.
• Experience working with global or multi-market teams and translating global strategies into regional execution.
• Strong people leadership capabilities including coaching, performance management and talent development.
• Exceptional ability to synthesize complexity into clear strategy narratives for senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills.

The base pay range for this position is $159,753 to $223,654 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law.  This pay range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time.