Job Vacancies at Danone.

To lead innovations and productivity projects for the DSA CBU.

Act as project lead for new Product Development Projects such as:

• Development of new and improved primary and secondary packaging.
• Extensions to existing ranges such as new flavours and formats.
• Breakthrough innovations
• Reformulations for superiority
• Product relaunches.
• Responsible for co-ordinating the activities of all the key contributing departments to ensure that the project is delivered on time, on budget, and in line with the brief.
• Providing updates to key stakeholders, including presenting gate change requests at PST and CODEV internal meetings.
• Minimising scope creep to prevent delays and additional costs.
• Challenging decisions made to ensure that the best possible solutions are found to problems encountered on the project.

Act as project lead on Productivity Projects such as:

• New supplier homologation.
• Reformulation for cost saving.
• Shelf life extensions.
• Responsibilities as per project lead for new product development.

Champion correct project management process

• Ensure Danone GOOSE process adhered to and that stage gate approval is obtained at the appropriate point in time.
• Assumptions used for volume and P&L projections are robust and that all key stakeholders have input prior to freezing the assumptions.
• Train new employees in partner functions on the GOOSE process and their role within it.
• Identify and implement lessons learned

Tracking & Reporting

• Produce reports tracking project KPI’s
• Develop and track project timelines

Communication

• Manage all stakeholders according to their needs, and CBU need for Project Management Performance.
• Arrange project meetings as required and follow up with meeting minutes

Qualification:

• Undergraduate degree in engineering, business or other relevant discipline required.
• Project Management Professional certification preferred.
• 4 years of project management experience in an FMCG company or similar environment (high number of projects interacting together; big projects and fast pace of change) required.
• Technical background in manufacturing; marketing or research and development  preferred.
• Experience in project management software preferred.
• Well-developed communication skills (oral, written and listening).
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional projects
• This role requires the co-ordination of different disciplines within the business to see complex projects through from start to completion in a fast paced and highly changeable environment.
• Short shelf life products; food safety requirements; technical requirements at the factory.

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The Packaging Development Manager occupies a position within the research and development department of Danone. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting the Research, Innovation and Quality Director in packaging activities and directly supporting individual projects independently.

• Lead and manage the Packaging development workstream for Danone SA and ensure execution of projects in    line with category and market trends.
• Design packaging systems with creativity while considering their contribution to the project's P& L
• Partner with external suppliers and collaborate with internal teams to identify cost saving projects, identify capabilities and lead implementation of cost saving targets.
• Research and develop new materials, shapes, and assembly lines for Danone's portfolio of brands and products. Development of primary, secondary and transport packaging for and in collaboration with the Marketing, Sales, Production, Engineering and Supply Chain departments.
• Benchmarking of competitor products, building robust packaging technology pipeline and use the information to assess competitive advantages for consumer benefits, packaging costs and functionality benefits.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, other Danone subsidiaries, factories, manufacturing partners and other applicable technology sources.
• Keep up to date with new technologies for opportunities to contribute to Danone sustainable journey and local regulations.
• Ensure packaging specifications for all brands and materials are in place.
• Create a structure to organize and carry out trials in an industrial environment using the trial protocol
• Ensure quality of first production run for all products where new packaging is employed plus conduct plant training to ensure continuity
• Establish and maintain supplier networks and relations to align them and ensure high delivery into projects with value-add packaging solutions at affordable prices.
• Build a purpose-driven culture for the packaging team and inspirational leadership through Danone values and behaviors. Developing self and others on packaging technical knowledge, professional and general skills

Qualification(s);

• Packaging Diploma/Food Science Degree/Mechanical or Chemical Engineering oriented toward Packaging development.

Experience and Skills:

• 8-10 Years experience in Packaging Development within the FMCG environment preferable in a leadership role
• Advanced knowledge of MS Word, MS PPT and MS Excel, CAPE PACK
• Proven leadership in multidisciplinary teams (including marketing, sales, purchasing and manufacturing representatives) focused on developing new products and implementing of innovation strategies.
• Solid knowledge and experience in project management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; proven ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment; autonomy and a demonstrated ability to propose new solutions and ideas spontaneously.
• Must be willing and able to travel mainly to co-packers and distribution centers for travel test assessments.

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Objectives of the role:

• Define the long-term Strategy for Portfolio/Pricing by Channel,
• Sets KPI's for implementation and builds customer selling rationale
• Defines the long-term Strategy, KPI's & investment for Promotions by Channel & builds customer selling stories
• Defines the long-term Strategy for Trade Terms by Channel & Customer, including Channel specific incentives
• Responsible for keeping the business on plan by partnering with the Commercial Team to -
• Construct pre-evaluation P&L / KPI metrics
• Track performance through a set of distinct scorecards and performance review forums
• To drive the development, execution and implementation of a new operational way of working across the Commercial functions, from a Pricing, Promotions and Mix perspective.
• Price management (by driving positive profitability and additional profits by changing price points for shopper on the shelf and developing price architecture for the entire portfolio- based on the analyzes of the category and the market)
• Promotions effectiveness management (by managing promo ROI and CO% in a consistent and rigorous manner to bring additional profit by managing mechanics, SKU mix, client mix, competitors),
• Portfolio management (link it to the shopper needs, occasions in the channels etc.),
• Trade terms management (Monitoring effectiveness and provide the improvement recommendation, review trade terms strategic negotiations planning and implementation process)

LEAD PRGM INTEGRATION INTO THE BUSINESS

To embed best practice repeatable models and actionable insights across the Commercial function in order to deliver on the profitable revenue improvement targets/initiatives systems, review process & learning programme to develop a best-in-class trade investment process establish a broader organisational trade investment capability & culture

CO-ORDINATES CHANNEL & CUSTOMER BUDGET DEVELOPMENT

• Identifies the ambition for Danone for the next 12 months in each Channel expressed in Sales & Share
• Develops channel specific guidelines for 4Ps and 'enablers' for each channel including Promotion guidelines & Opportunities to optimize Route to Market
• Understands E-Com and monitors Onsite Performance KPIs (Page views, conversion rate, ROI)
• Defines the optimum online Assortment, filters & substitution rules and knows how to optimize search results
• Understands the unique digital platform & assets by Retailer & works to optimize Danone performance within each environment.

Qualification(s):

Relevant suitable degree
Experience :

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Sales / Category Management / Finance
• Reason for Essential qualification & Skills:
• Manage profitable growth development from an end to end perspective
• State specific complexities within the role :
• Devising company profitability plans that are fit for purpose
• Engage with customers & brands for investment and execution spendaa

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To develop and manage long and short-term export-focussed sales, marketing and distribution of Danone’s Export business, to support the overall objectives of the African expansion strategy.

Planning

• Develop and implement the growth plan for exports per country
• Support the development of channel and customer plans by distributors, ensuring they align to the overall country plan.
• Develop the tactical activation plan per channel, for each country
• Develop the Key Account and Trade Marketing co-operative spend plan with relevant stakeholders in the commercial team
• Take the lead for execution and execution management, in country
• Monthly forecasting against stockholding, sales, arrivals and adjustments of stock

 Delivery

• Drive volume, value and profitability through distributors to increase penetration and deliver on targets
• Confirm monthly scheduled orders and co-ordinate Supply Chain to meet the need
• Ensure that the stock in distributor depots is sufficient to meet in-market demand
• Drive and monitor execution targets with each distributor, to ensure continuous achievement of targets
• Lead the implementation of ad hoc projects into Africa, as required
• Plan with local commercial team on Key account agreements in shared accounts
• Manage the availability of correct portfolio with correct pricing strategy and promotional support for each country
• Determine size of the category within each market

Activation

• Receive promotion material and mechanics from Marketing, and agree activation plans for all trade programs with Distributors
• Sell the activations into the trade and major key accounts
• Develop a KPI scorecard including service levels, distribution, price management and promotional support for each distributor
• Manage the distributors in each country to ensure that all the agreed plans are activated at the correct intensity
• Hold the distributors accountable for successful activation of the agreed plans and KPI plans.
• Interact with all media agencies, for both ATL and BTL promotions to ensure that the relevant activation is executed correctly

Finance and Budget

• Manage a budget for in-country expenses, such as travel, cellphone and entertainment
• Develop a country-level budget plan for activations and promotions, co-operative spend, and rebates
• Continuously identify and implement financial efficiency opportunities within own cost drivers
• Execute within the budget constraints
• Reconcile monthly, YTD and YTG activation spends.

Leadership and Management

• Lead the Sales and Distribution activities in the distributors, and maintain a high performance and engaged culture within their teams
• Take accountability for the development of distributor teams as required, including coaching and training them on sales, trade marketing, category management, stock management, pricing, profit stories etc
• Guide distributors on managing the performance within their teams
• Become the Brand Champion within the Distributors’ teams

Reporting

• Submit monthly Distributor and Country reviews to the AE Manager and Commercial Director
• Give feedback against the monthly budget (spend and sales performance) tracker

ACADEMIC AND TRADE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commerce qualification, focused on Marketing or Sales
• Ability to speak Portuguese or French is preferable.

WORK EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• Minimum of 5-10 years’ experience in commercial/sales/marketing
• Distributor management experience an advantage
• Proven success in commercial-focused environment
• Proven track record in an FMCG Sales and Commercial environment
• Previous working experience with or within other African countries is an advantage
• Problem solving ablity to make decisions regarding complex and medium term business problems (4 – 12 month view).
• Up to 4 months training will be required to fully master the competencies of this role.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS:

• Goal-oriented individual
• Action-oriented individual
• Pragmatic
• High levels of resilience
• Cultural flexibility
• Potential to develop into a more senior role
• Ability to work independently
• Passion for developing and growing new markets

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• Manage all Regulatory Affairs and Category Compliance activities on behalf of Danone Nutricia Africa (DNAF) for Southern Africa & export countries within the scope of Specialized Nutrition (SN) division: baby food products and medical nutrition. 
• Protect and support Danone’s business and assets by designing and implementing the optimal regulatory framework & category compliance strategy, according to country regulations, company policies and the specific needs of the central business unit.
• Bring regulatory expertise and make recommendations to guarantee the conformity of the products and communication within the countries.
• Educate the local teams to enable them to have an enlightened vision of the regulatory and compliance issues, provide them with guidelines to make the best decisions, and accompany them in the defined actions.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITES

REGULATORY:

• Keep abreast of current and pending regulations and trends relating to the composition, labelling, advertising, registration, communication and importing of SN products to ensure and prepare for regulatory compliance.  Define the impact of new regulations and develop mitigation plans to minimise impact and ensure compliance.  Implement and manage actions relating to regulatory compliance while informing local and global teams. 
• Be a proactive and enabling partner according to business objectives and context.
• Acts as local advisor to WHO code compliance.
• Engage with regulatory authorities, competitors, or other stakeholders. 
• Be the point of contact for authority requests and team queries.
• Form part of the crisis management team as required.
• Develop and cultivate an active set of relationships with regulatory organisations, stakeholders, self-regulatory groups and industry association and stakeholders. 
• Participate actively in the Danone Africa regulatory network (regular calls, meetings, sharing of best practice)
• Be integrated in key project teams by identifying regulatory constraints/risks in project, assisting in decision making, and escalating important topics to the global team
• Train the team (and all new starters) on requirements of regulatory compliance (including local and international regulations and guidelines).
• Actively participate as part of relevant trade associations in collaboration with the public affairs team (participate in meetings, propose relevant topics, share feedback with the business).

PRODUCT REGISTRATION

• Be informed and provide direction relating to each country’s registration requirements.
• Collate and submit documentation needed for product registration.
• Be the identified contact for local authorities in collaboration with Public Affairs.
• Respond to all Danone global requests and authorities’ requests.
• Assist with the registration of products in export countries.
• Monitor and manage registration authorization in accordance with the timetable.

COMMUNICATION & LABEL VALIDATION

• Review and pre-validate all external communication relating to SN in line with local regulations. 
• Follow & respect the Group Claim procedure (communication validation).
• Carry out regular checks to ensure that the procedure is being properly followed.
• Train all newcomers on the process.
• Provide input about local regulations to ensure that recipe changes are compliant, to provide label specification.
• Check and validate the label for SN products.

CATEGORY COMPLIANCE

• Deploy and animate the Category Compliance program for South Africa & export countries.
• Ensure team awareness and compliance to the internal procedures relating to the commercialisation of our products.
• Train teams on Category Compliance, Healthcare Systems procedure (HCS), Breastmilk Substitute Do’s & Don’ts (all new-comers, regular training for people in the field, regular knowledge testing, training on internal procedures).
• Review and approve HCS request forms.
• Performs or support internal audit, propose and follow a compliance action plan.
• Offer support for external audit preparation & follow action plan. 
• Monitor non-conformities report and implement plans for corrective action.   
• Participate in a compliance network (regular communication, participation in calls, sharing best practices)

KEY DELIVERABLES

• Enable achievement of strategic business objectives.
• Regulatory cluster roadmap definition and implementation.
• Management of all regulatory activities.
• Ensure compliance to all regulations related to our business (products, allegations, communication claims).
• Management of Category Compliance activities.
• Manage registration SN portfolio.
• Prepare for and participate in internal & external audits.
• Follow action plan of audits.  
• Participate in local trade association.

 FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Regulatory knowledge: Regulations relating to infant and young child feeding; Regulations relating to labelling and advertising of foodstuff; Regulations relating to composition of foodstuffs; Regulations on medical device; Pharmaceutical Regulation
• Knowledge of health sciences and nutrition
• Advocacy competencies
• Management & leadership competencies: Ability to prioritise and lead action plans with pragmatism; Agility, and ability to manage complexity; Take decisions while assuming associated risks; Develop clear & efficient recommendations
• Business Acumen: Collaborative mindset & attitudes; Ability to develop networks internally and externally; Strong communication and negotiation skills; Leadership and embedding capacity including with top management; Internal and external impact and influence; Strategic vision; Ability to provide clear presentation; Be proactive

SOFT SKILLS:

• Strong organising skills, rigor
• Displays resilience and determination while showing flexibility & calm
• Attention to detail & accuracy
• Autonomy
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to work across functions and building effective working relationships between functions
• Communication skills - verbal, written, presentation
• Fluent in English (written and verbal); French is a plus

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

           5 – 7 years in infant feeding, specialised nutrition, health or pharmaceutical industries with demonstrated experience in category compliance and regulatory affairs management. 

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

•            Bachelor of Science Degree with Higher National Diploma or equivalent qualification in health sciences.
•            Regulatory expertise.
•            Scientific knowledge.
•            Management experience.
•            Dietitian, Doctor, Pharmacist or equivalent registered with Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).