Ice Cream R&D Programme Manager

For our Global Headquarters, we are looking for a Ice Cream R&D Programme Manager for the R&D Ice Cream Division.

Thanks to your ability to work at both strategic and operational levels, you will shape and drive the IC R&D agenda in close collaboration with the Head of R&D, from defining a clear R&D strategy to managing a balanced short-, medium-, and long-term project funnel focused on innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. You will ensure strong external positioning through active engagement with academic partners, suppliers, and trade associations, while maintaining clear oversight of how projects and programs align with division priorities and broader business strategies. 

You will work closely with the CMO and cross-functional stakeholders (R&D, Marketing, Operations, SBD, CSU, Finance) to ensure disciplined project gatekeeping, clear prioritization, and smooth delivery despite competing resource demands. Thanks to your experience in program and project management, you will promote structured methodologies, support effective decision-making at each project phase, foster a culture of ideation and creativity within defined frameworks, and reinforce rigor around financial reporting, business cases, timelines, and ways of working. You will also contribute to building project and programs management capabilities across the IC organization, including communication, training, and change adoption. 

You will define, monitor, and manage annual IC R&D budgets covering facilities, people, travel, trials, shipping, inter-departmental costs, and CapEx for infrastructure and equipment, with regular monthly and annual follow-up. Based in Luxembourg, you will oversee dedicated local activities, including ice cream storage and sensory evaluation facilities, regulatory coordination for extra-EU sample imports and tastings, management of a small, dedicated team, professionalized tasting processes, and timely invoice handling via Ariba. Thanks to your clarity in documentation and communication, you will translate R&D and innovation concepts into structured visual materials, presentations, position papers, and a searchable archive supporting IC Innovation work across R&D and Marketing. 

Thanks to your 15+ years of experience in Project Management, Marketing, R&D, or closely related functions within FMCG/CPG multinationals, you bring a solid understanding of how to operate across functional and geographical interfaces. You will draw on your experience working with diverse teams and environments to navigate complexity and ensure alignment across locations and disciplines. 

You will rely on your proven experience in leading projects, managing complex portfolios, and delivering strong business outcomes. Thanks to your strategic thinking, you are able to translate direction into a shared language between technical and commercial teams, while applying a sound understanding of financial levers such as P&L, pricing, mix, and profitability. 

Thanks to your combination of creativity, consumer focus, and analytical discipline, you approach challenges with pragmatic problem-solving. You will use your communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills to engage effectively with senior leaders. You are fluent in English, and additional languages are considered an advantage. 

Are you ready for this great challenge? Don’t miss the chance to apply!  

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Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies, with many iconic brands sold in countries all over the world. Find out more about Ferrero at ferrero.com.

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative, and highly rewarding.
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