R&D Packaging & Project Leader Manager

R&D Packaging & Project Leader Manager

Function: R&D Manager – Beauty & Wellbeing
Reports to: R&D Manager B&W Mexico
Location: Mexico – Cuernavaca (Hybrid)
Scope: Mexico – Hair Care & Skin Care

JOB PURPOSE

This role plays a critical part in delivering the R&D agenda for Beauty & Wellbeing in Mexico, combining strong Packaging leadership (60%) with Technical Project Leadership (40%) for low to mid-complexity innovation, renovation, savings, and compliance projects across Hair and Skin Care categories.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

PACKAGING LEADERSHIP – 60%

• Lead the Packaging R&D agenda for Mexico across innovation, renovation, savings, and compliance projects.

• Deliver unmissably superior packaging solutions ensuring quality, safety, cost, manufacturability, and sustainability.

• Partner closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, and Global R&D teams.

• Lead sustainability initiatives including PCR integration, material reduction, and circularity projects.

• Act as local reference for packaging standards, best practices, and supplier engagement.

TECHNICAL PROJECT LEADERSHIP (TPL) – 40%

• Act as TPL for low to mid-complexity Hair and Skin Care projects in Mexico.

• Lead projects from scoping and feasibility through implementation and market delivery.

• Ensure first-time-right execution through strong risk assessment and troubleshooting.

• Translate product performance criteria into robust technical and validation plans.

• Support R&D capability building and agile ways of working.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Packaging, Chemistry, or related scientific discipline.

• Minimum 6 years of experience in Packaging and/or R&D project delivery within FMCG.

• Proven track record delivering innovation, renovation, or savings projects.

• Strong knowledge of product quality, GMP, product safety, and manufacturing principles.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Candidate must be fully operational in the following skill areas:

• Program and portfolio management and keen prioritization skills.

• Project Management Excellence – specifically the tools, techniques and processes required to ensure First Time Right delivery.

• Technical project leadership (Scoping, Feasibility, Design & Implementation).

• Team leadership: Experience in a combined global and local team dynamic across all functions

• Communication: Proactive, clear, and impactful communication to drive informed decisions and actions.

• Stakeholder influencing and management.

• Ability to navigate uncertainty.

• Motivator of people: team deliver with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.

•  Responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. Understand the wider business context and emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

CULTURE FOR GROWTH

• A strong dot connector integrating consumers, technology, and business needs.

• A problem solver with a challenger mindset and passion for execution.

• A role model of high performance, accountability, and speed.

• An inclusive collaborator who builds trust and grows others

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.