Idea Management Program Manager

Job Description

Job Description:

Location: Aimargues

Legal entity: Royal Canin

Type of contract: Permanent

Shape the Future of Pet Health at Royal Canin

At Royal Canin, we’re on a mission to set the standard in pet health through nutrition. To keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, we’re building a new Enterprise Strategy Operationalization (ESO) Team—a dynamic, cross-functional group bringing together S&OP+, Project/Program Management, and Graphics. Our goal? To orchestrate the delivery of our strategy and drive real impact across the business.

As our Idea Management Program Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in making innovation happen. You’ll be the driving force behind our Idea Management programs, ensuring we capture, evaluate, and prioritize the best ideas to fuel our innovation pipeline. You’ll connect with passionate Associates across functions, champion efficient ways of working, and continuously improve how we turn ideas into action.

What are your key responsibilities?

• Be the Process Owner:
  Lead the preparation of Innovation Management Reviews and annual audits (internal & external). You’ll own the performance KPIs, drive efficient ways of working with clear RACI, and ensure we’re always improving.
• Recharge the Innovation Pipeline:
  • Plan & Develop Frameworks: Support the Prospective Team in defining stages for idea generation, evaluation, and selection. Set measurable criteria and clarify roles with stakeholders.
  • Manage Idea Collection: Help the Demand Team organize and select submissions, track the innovation pipeline, and ensure the best ideas rise to the top.
  • Prioritize & Decide: Provide a portfolio view (sufficiency, ROI, resources, etc.) to support prioritization. Run workshops, document decisions, and maintain a transparent scoring framework.
  • Facilitate Collaboration: Align and communicate with R&D, marketing, finance, VCO, and more. Foster cross-functional collaboration and share insights.
  • Drive Continuous Improvement: Conduct post-cycle reviews, benchmark against best practices, and implement improvements.
  • Enhance Tools & Data: Develop robust tools for pipeline management and leverage data for informed decision-making.
• Forum Facilitator:
  Act as a facilitator for ESO forums, sharing good practices and supporting a learning culture.
• Lead Improvement Workstreams:
  Take the lead on improvement initiatives and contribute to the broader ESO agenda.

What are we looking for?

• Higher Education Qualification or relevant Experience
• 5+ experience in Project Management Formal qualification in project management (preferable).
• Strong Stakeholder management skillset, comfortable with all layers within the business
• Functional experience in a function or project/process management
• Enlarged Perspective
• Structured ways of working ·
• High level of pro-activeness and willingness to take responsibility
• Very strong communication capability and able to adapt to the stakeholder
• Fluent in English (written & spoken)
• Good knowledge of MS 365 tools

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

Ready to help shape the future of pet health at Royal Canin?
Apply now and bring your passion for innovation to a team where your ideas matter.