Leads front-end innovation for designated platforms within the Global Innovation Hub in Singapore. Applies strategic insight, creative thinking, and strong internal/external partnerships to generate consumer-relevant concepts. Supports the Hub's mandate to build a high-quality innovation pipeline in close collaboration with global, regional, and local stakeholders. The role operates with global reach, grounded in APAC consumer and category realities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Insight Development & Problem Framing
- Identify emerging consumer tensions, cultural shifts, rituals, and unmet needs across APAC. Use insight mining, foresight tools, and market analysis to define clear, opportunity-led problem statements that anchor the front-end innovation agenda.
Ideation Leadership
- Design and lead structured ideation sprints using design thinking and creative workshop methodologies. Partner with agencies and cross-functional teams to develop strong innovation territories and breakthrough ideas.
Concept Creation & Refinement
- Convert promising ideas into sharp, compelling concepts backed by clear insights, distinct benefits, and early visual/product direction. Iterate quickly through consumer feedback and lightweight testing to strengthen concept quality.
Product Direction & Concept Validation
- Work with Insights, R&D, and Design to define initial liquid, sensory, ritual, and pack direction. Validate concepts through agile test-and-learn methods to ensure consumer relevance, brand stretch, and incremental potential.
Gate Preparation & Market Coordination
- Prepare concise, insight-backed documentation for Gate discussions. Align early with OPCOs to ensure clarity of the consumer problem, opportunity fit, and market relevance before handover to downstream development teams.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Creative Inspiration
- Foster strong collaboration with Insights, R&D, Design, and Global Brand Teams. Inspire teams with cultural curiosity, strategic clarity, and consumer empathy. Bring creative provocation and forward-thinking energy to elevate the quality of front-end innovation.
QUALIFICATIONS & PROFILE
Experience
- At least 1015 years in innovation, insights-led strategy, or brand management in FMCG/CPG gained from regional and/or global experience, ideally across APAC;
- Proven front-end innovation expertise.
- Has strong commercial acumen in understanding market P&Ls, competition and market trends
Other Requirements
- Fluent English; APAC languages a plus.
- Willingness to travel up to 30% across APAC for immersions and ideation.
Capabilities
- Leads with consumer first approach: Deeply curious about consumers; passionate about digging deeper
- Demonstrated ability to develop strategic innovation platforms/frameworks; demonstrated ability to write and bring to life concepts;
- Strong insight craft and ability to define sharp opportunity spaces.
- Skilled ideation facilitator with strong creative and strategic judgment.
- Good concept writing with early product/pack direction capability.
- Analytical, structured thinker with solid commercial awareness.
- Effective influencer in complex, matrix
#HEINEKEN #DoSomethingThatMatters #DSTM
