Innovation Manager

**Job Title** : Innovation Manager

**Location**: México City

Pernod Ricard is a global company of premium wines and spirits. We’re the team behind leading brands such as ABSOLUT® Vodka, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, Beefeater® Gin, and Avión Tequila — as well as many other exceptional wines and exquisite champagnes

Working at Pernod Ricard is all about bringing _conviviality_ to life in everything we do. Derived from the French word _convivialité_, it means human connection, authenticity, friendliness, and joy. Conviviality is the driving energy — the central spirit — of how we live and work at Pernod Ricard. Here, we are team players, dream makers, pioneers, movers, and shakers. We are passionate about living life to the fullest, making a new friend every day, and realizing our potential as individuals and as a company

At Pernod Ricard, your safety and well-being are our top priority.

**Job Purpose**

Innovation at House of Tequila is about building long-term brand and business value, not only through new products, but by constantly improving what we already have.

As Innovation Manager, you play a key role in enhancing the quality, efficiency, and desirability of our tequila and mezcal portfolio. You will lead projects that strengthen our brands through renovation, value engineering, packaging optimization, format evolution, and occasional new product launches.

You will manage the innovation pipeline end-to-end: identifying opportunities for improvement, guiding concept or optimization work, and coordinating cross-functional teams to ensure projects deliver tangible business impact. While actively collaborating with the Global Innovation Hub and RTD Business Unit for alignment, insights, and best practices, innovation for House of Tequila is largely developed and executed locally, requiring both strategic thinking and operational excellence.

Your mission is to future-proof our portfolio by continuously improving what we make and how we make it, while selectively creating new propositions that expand our reach and relevance.

**Responsibilities**

**A. Portfolio & Value Creation Strategy**
- Contribute to defining the House of Tequila innovation roadmap, balancing renovation, optimization, and new development opportunities.
- Identify growth and efficiency opportunities across liquids, formats, materials, and processes.
- Manage and prioritize the innovation pipeline along with Brand Architecture & Activation Director, balancing ambition, feasibility, and profitability.

**B. Product & Packaging Optimization**
- Lead cross-functional projects focused on value engineering, quality improvement, and sustainability enhancements.
- Oversee format evolution (e.g. new sizes, multipacks, limited runs) and design-to-cost initiatives ensuring brand consistency and premium cues.
- Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, and R&D to achieve technical feasibility, cost savings, and efficiency gains without compromising quality or equity.

**C. Concept & Development**
- Lead occasional new-to-market product or format initiatives from brief to launch, aligning with brand positioning and portfolio guardrails.
- Translate insights into actionable briefs for R&D, Design, and Production partners.
- Maintain close collaboration with the Global Innovation Hub to leverage expertise, share learnings, and ensure alignment with Pernod Ricard frameworks.

**D. Insights & Trend Foresight**
- Track category, consumer, and packaging trends to identify opportunities for renovation or incremental innovation.
- Produce quarterly “Innovation Pulse” reports summarizing insights, market learnings, and optimization opportunities.

**E. Cross-Functional Collaboration**
- Lead project teams across R&D, Operations, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and Comms to deliver initiatives on time, on brief, and on budget.
- Partner with Comms and Advocacy to integrate innovation and renovation stories into brand education and activation.
- Ensure alignment with Brand Architecture & Activation + Comms Team to maintain consistency across product design, packaging, and brand architecture.

**Requirements**:

- University degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Design, or related field.
- Minimum 7-8 years relevant business experience from the consumer goods sector in an international organization.
- Minimum 3-4 years of Innovation and New Product Development experience
- Experience working with creative, innovation and design agencies.
- Experience from working in a cross-functional organization and in cross-functional projects.
- English and Spanish are a must.

**Competencies**
- Strategy portfolio management - experience in developing global portfolio and guide innovation teams with actionable brand strategies and portfolio guidelines, including packaging.
- Innovation framework development
- Project management
- Stakeholder management
- Design and product development
- Skills in leading range management
- Strong analytic