Research & Innovation (R&I) Senior Director – Dairy Protein Platform

Short Intro and About the Job

DANONE is a global food and nutrition company holding top positions in healthy food through its four businesses: Essential Plant based and dairy products, Specialized Nutrition and Waters. Our mission, bringing health through food to as many people as possible, embodies commitment to human progress and business success, adding purpose to nearly 90,000 Danoners daily.

 

You will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good. One Planet. One Health.

 

For passionate people looking for autonomy and exciting career opportunities, Danone truly has something special inside

 

 

Context & Role Rationale

Dairy Protein is a strategic growth pillar for Danone. As consumer expectations evolve around protein quality, performance, metabolic health, healthy aging, the category requires strong, science-backed, consumer-centric innovation at scale.

 

Within Danone’s new Research & Innovation (R&I) operating model, this role is a senior strategic leadership position, embedded in the Global R&I Categories FMCG team. The role is designed to shape and co-build the category strategy, to translate our Science & Technology assets into a category roadmap, and to lead global projects, ensuring innovation delivers differentiation, scale, and growth impact.

 

This is not a product development role or a regional execution role. It is a global R&I leadership role, operating at the interface of science, categories, and zones. Requiring strong conviction-based influencing within a complex multi layered organization,

 

Mission

To define, build, and deliver the Dairy Protein R&I strategy and innovation pipeline by bridging consumer insights and translating science and technology through differentiated global projects that drive innovation at scale.

 

The role ensures that Dairy Protein innovation is:

• Consumer-relevant and insight-led
• Scientifically credible and differentiated
• Scalable across brands and geographies
• Aligned with Danone’s nutrition, health, and sustainability ambitions

 Scope of the Role

• Category: Dairy Protein platform (Global scope)
• Geographic reach: Global, with strong interaction with lead markets and regions
• Innovation horizon: Mid and long term (exploration through to commercialization)
• Operating model: Global R&I Categories, in strong interdependence with Advanced Technology, Regional / Zone R&I teams, Marketing & Global Category teams

 Key Responsibilities:

 

Define & Drive Dairy Protein Category R&I Strategy:

• Co-own, with Marketing and Global Category leadership, the Dairy Protein innovation strategy, aligned with Danone’s growth and nutrition ambitions
• Translate category strategy into clear R&I priorities, end-to-end innovation pipeline, and capability needs
• Build and maintain mid- and long-term R&I roadmaps, balancing renovation vs. innovation vs. breakthrough
• Anticipate and integrate consumer, science, technology, and regulatory trends impacting the category

Co-Build & Orchestrate the Dairy Protein Innovation Pipeline:

• Own the end-to-end Dairy Protein innovation pipeline, from exploration to commercialization readiness
• Ensure the pipeline is: Consumer-centric and insight-led, Scientifically differentiated and credible, Designed for multi-market scalability
• Drive portfolio choices and prioritization, focusing on projects with the highest strategic and growth impact
• Ensure alignment and coherence between global platforms/projects and regional pipelines

Lead Global Projects at Scale:

• Lead or co-lead global Dairy Protein innovation/renovation projects, from early concept framing through scale-up and deployment with regions
• Ensure projects are designed for innovation at scale, not single-market optimization
• Act as the R&I orchestrator for global projects, coordinating Advanced R&I teams, Regional R&I teams, Marketing and other key functions
• Support regions in adapting and deploying global platforms while preserving strategic intent and differentiation

 Commercialize Science & Technology for Differentiation:

• Act as a bridge between Advanced R&I and category/business needs
• Translate complex science and technology into: Clear innovation platforms, Credible benefits and claims, Compelling consumer value propositions
• Ensure Dairy Protein innovation leverages Danone’s scientific and technological assets to build sustainable competitive advantage

 Drive Categories FMCG R&I Governance & Ways of Working:

• Play an active role in R&I FMCG Categories governance and decision-making
• Ensure strong application of the innovation and stage-gate ways of working across Dairy Protein projects
• Promote transparency, discipline, and pace while preserving creativity and ambition

 Stakeholder Management, Influencing & One-R&I Mindset:

• Act as a trusted R&I thought partner to Marketing/Global Category, and Business leaders
• Influence without direct authority through: Strong points of view, Fact-based recommendations, Clear framing of trade-offs and decisions
• Navigate complexity, tension, and ambiguity with clarity, confidence, and credibility
• Promote a One R&I mindset, two-way dialogue, and sharing of best practices across regions

 Key Interfaces:

• Global Category & Marketing leadership
• Advanced Technology/R&I teams
• Regional / Zone R&I leadership
• Regulatory Affairs
• Nutrition/Scientific/ and Regulatory Affairs
• Operations and Cycles & Procurement
• Strategy, Insights & Analytics
• Finance

About You

The criteria below remain indicative. A candidate who has a different combination of experience and skills could also be considered.  

Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field in addition: 

 

Critical Soft Skills (Must-Have)

• Stakeholder management & influencing with conviction
• Critical & strategic thinking
• Clear, impactful communication

Key Technical & Functional Skills:

• Consumer centricity: Strong command of insights, foresights, and trends
• End-to-end innovation expertise: From early exploration to commercialization at scale
• Food & Beverage expertise: Dairy/fermentation experience is highly desirable
• Solid understanding of nutrition, formulation, processing, and product & health claims

 Profile & Experience:

• Senior R&I / Innovation leader with both local and global experience with well established experience in R&D and innovation roles
• Proven track record in building and delivering innovation pipelines at scale
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed organizations
• Track record of bridging science, technology, and business
• Recognized for strategic thinking, influencing ability, and leadership credibility

Fluency in English is essential for this role

About Us, We offer and What's next

Our employer commitments:   

• The guarantee of a relevant, competitive and scalable compensation package, through external benchmark and internal equity. It consists among other things of a fixed salary, an yearly bonus, gain sharing, and a Danone share.  

• Flexibility of working from your home an average of 10 days per month.  

• Skills development for all, thanks to our Danone Academy France and through a year-round managerial conversation cycle.  

• The possibility to use up to 3 days a year of volunteering through the platform Vendredi.  

• Parenting policy benefits, such as extended Parental Leave (14 additional maternity/paternity days covered), or the ability to convert some earnings into time off  

• Other benefits include a complementary pension scheme, health care plan, CSE (partial participation to the cost of some social activity). 

 

Every day, you will make decisions that impact our economic and societal performance, as well as our ability to achieve our ambitions.    

At Danone, you can just be yourself. We are convinced that it is up to YOU to define how you work, develop and progress.   

With us, you will work in a challenging, authentic, and caring environment.  We put people at the center of everything we do. Bring your unique perspective, ambitions and ideas to the table – the impact you could make might surprise you. We are committed to embrace diversity, nurturing an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is deeply embedded in Danone's DNA.

* All applications will be considered for a vacancy without discrimination based on ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.