Foods PMO delivery lead

Job Title: Foods PMO Delivery Executive

Reports to: Innovation PMO Director

Job Location: India

About Global Marketing Services (GMS)
Global Marketing Services (GMS) is a dynamic, collaborative team that partners with Unilever’s brand teams across the globe to deliver high-impact marketing services. Our mission is to drive speed, consistency, and operational excellence at scale, empowering brands to connect with consumers more effectively. 

 GMS brings together deep expertise across several key domains: 

• Artwork Excellence: Our specialists lead the creation of mechanical artworks for both physical and digital packs, ensuring flawless execution and seamless collaboration. 

• UARM (Unilever Artwork & Records Management): The custodians of Unilever’s corporate memory, UARM protects trademarks and records, offering brand teams historical insights and safeguarding intellectual property. 

• Consumer Engagement Centres (CEC): These frontline teams engage directly with consumers across digital and traditional channels, responding to queries and feedback with empathy and precision. 

• Innovation Project Management Office (PMO): A team of expert project managers accelerating innovation speed to market across Unilever’s Business Groups, Business Units and 1 UL 

• Marketing Digital Solutions: Designers and architects of scalable marketing technology platforms, like Asset Bank, which houses over 2 million advertising assets. 

Position Summary

This role is part of Innovation Project Management team, responsible for the delivery of effective integrated project management support across all markets and categories in Foods (BG/BUs), supporting Innovation PMO Director with planning team workload and capacity, driving PMO OKRs and improving projects OTIF. Accountable for a Foods LT reporting (OTIF, projects RAG status, benchmarking and lessons learned).​ 

Position Responsibilities

Establishing ways of working with Foods (has not been supported by PMO YTD), incl creation of NW templates etc

• Effective Project Management support for Foods BG/BUs projects, delivered by UL Partner (Capgemini).

• Overseeing Foods Innovation PMO Operation – work with Senior Stakeholders across all categories within HC to understand strategic priorities, goals and objectives within the categories.  Attendance to LT’s as required to provide ongoing visibility of PMO offering, project pipeline and upcoming capacity.

• Innovation PMO Centre of Excellence, PMO design - Define and land service offerings that support Innovation PMO in being a Centre of Excellence. Lead key workstreams of the Innovation PMO Roadmap that enhance offerings from PMO.  Be an active and integral part of the Innovation PMO Centre of Excellence.

• Drive Best in Class Reporting & Quality Data – Utilise available tools and systems to drive accurate and timely reporting for supported projects portfolio , both internally to support in running the operation and externally to key stakeholders.  Utilise and promote Phoenix across the division, supporting with and cascading information on system updates and improvements.   Overall responsibility for driving division innovation speed improvement and delivery, through adoption of standard tools, project management discipline and Risk analysis. Develop and drive Portfolio Management process and corresponding reporting.

• Define and Land Process Enhancements & Improvements – Process improvement of the PMO offering. Develop and drive new capabilities and methodologies to enable timely and fast delivery of complex innovation projects. 

• Be a representative and advocate of the Innovation PMO team at various forums

 Geographical scope

This position will be supporting all markets, engaging with key  stakeholders across all categories within Foods BG / BUs 

Skills & Competencies

Key Skills & Capabilities: 

• Strong NPD and innovation process knowledge

• Proven knowledge and experience of  project delivery within fast paced business.

• Proven experience in managing innovation and development projects to achieve successful project outcomes

• Project Management: External certification (e.g. APM, PMI, Prince2)

• Strong experience and skilled in MS Project

• Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills

• Effective communicator at all levels, with the ability to impact and influence.

• Able to demonstrate good capability in problem solving, decision making and making sound judgement in time pressured situations

• Ability to hold teams accountable for delivering against OKRs

• Ability to think strategically to support the development of the Innovation PMO team

• Experience in managing and mitigating risks and issues

• Professional and positive approach – a can do attitude with a willingness to go the extra mile when required.  Dynamic, self-motivated and self-sufficient.

• Ability to cope with pressure and ability to flex and adapt ways of working to suit the environment

• Experienced in leading/working with virtual teams and driving performance across diverse mixture of cultures. ​ 

Experience required:

• A solid understanding of innovation / NPD Processes is essential (min 5 years of relevant experience)

• Innovation PMO experience (min 3 years)

Key Interfaces:

• Foods BG/ BU LT

• BU Brand /SC/R&D Leads

• Capgemini Operational (Partners)

• Innovation PMO Team

• Global Product teams​ (GMS teams)

• Procurement, HR and Finance Business (as applicable)​ 

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion 

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Note: "All official offers from Unilever are issued only via our Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Offers from individuals or unofficial sources may be fraudulent—please verify before proceeding."