Ice Cream Associate Manager Strategic Projects & Planning

Life tastes better with ice cream

With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.
 
We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference. 

What truly sets us apart is how we work. 

We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done. 

We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better. 

THE ROLE:
This role supports the North America Ice Cream Supply Chain organization and serves as the PMO lead for major strategic transformation initiatives. The role is responsible for translating long-term supply chain strategy into executable plans and ensuring successful delivery of high-impact projects from business case approval through implementation, commissioning, startup, and value realization.

The individual will coordinate cross-functional teams across Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, Procurement, Finance, R&D, and Commercial functions to deliver strategic growth, insourcing, and network transformation initiatives. They will develop integrated project plans, evaluate capacity requirements and constraints, assess implementation trade-offs, and provide governance across complex programs.

Beyond project execution, this role will support the broader Strategic Planning agenda by developing business cases, evaluating network opportunities, supporting capacity strategies, identifying productivity and complexity reduction opportunities, and driving initiatives that improve service, gross margin, and operational performance across the North America network.

Who You Are & What You’ll Do

• You’re a Project Leader: You thrive in complex environments and can lead large cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution. You build alignment, manage competing priorities, and keep teams focused on delivering critical milestones.
• You’re a Strategic Thinker: You can connect long-term business objectives with operational realities, balancing growth ambitions, capacity constraints, investment requirements, and execution risks to drive the best outcomes.
• You’re a Dot Connector: You understand how decisions made in planning, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and innovation affect the broader end-to-end value chain and use that knowledge to drive integrated solutions.
• You’re a Problem Solver: You enjoy working through ambiguity, evaluating multiple scenarios, and developing practical recommendations for complex business challenges.
• You’re a Change Agent: You are energized by transformation and can lead organizations through significant operational changes, influencing stakeholders and driving adoption across the business.

Behaviors You’ll Need to Succeed

• Challenger: Passionate about uncovering opportunities, driving value creation, and delivering results.
• Collaborator: Builds strong relationships and aligns diverse stakeholders behind a common objective.
• Owner: Takes accountability for outcomes and proactively manages risks, dependencies, and execution challenges.

WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• Lead end-to-end project management of strategic supply chain initiatives, from business case approval through commissioning, startup, and operational handoff, ensuring delivery against scope, timeline, cost, and business objectives.
• Develop and maintain integrated project and implementation roadmaps, coordinating engineering, manufacturing, planning, innovation, procurement, and finance activities to ensure successful execution of strategic programs.
• Build and run capacity, timing, and network scenarios to assess insourcing opportunities, growth requirements, manufacturing constraints, investment needs, and implementation trade-offs across the network.
• Lead cross-functional decision making on production transitions, commissioning sequencing, startup readiness, and capacity deployment to support growth, innovation, and network transformation objectives.
• Coordinate the transition of production from contract manufacturers to internal manufacturing facilities, ensuring readiness across supply planning, operations, engineering, product setup, and innovation teams.
• Support development of long-term supply chain strategies, business cases, and network optimization opportunities by evaluating capacity requirements, operational constraints, capital investments, and value creation opportunities.
• Drive strategic planning initiatives including complexity reduction, productivity improvement, service enhancement, and gross margin delivery through analytical insight and cross-functional leadership.
• Develop executive-level analyses, project governance materials, and recommendations to support senior leadership decision-making on strategic investments and supply chain transformation programs.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO

• Thinks end-to-end and takes ownerships for results
• Is comfortable working in a fast-moving, evolving organisation
• Values collaboration, clarity and low-ego ways of working

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in project management, supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, operations, strategic planning, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PMP certification or formal project management training.
• Experience supporting manufacturing startup, commissioning, capacity expansion, or insourcing projects.
• Knowledge of supply chain network design, capacity planning, and scenario modeling.
• Experience with MS Project, Power BI, advanced Excel, or planning analytics platforms.
• Experience in FMCG or consumer products manufacturing environments.
• Experience leveraging AI and digital tools to improve planning and project execution.

WHAT YOU'LL GET

Alongside meaningful work and strong development, we offer a reward package that typically includes:

• Market-competitive pay and performance related rewards
• Flexible ways of working
• Support for health, wellbeing and life outside of work
• Time off to rest and recharge
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Medical, dental and (where applicable) vision coverage 
• Health and wellbeing support, including employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives 
• Health-related savings and spending accounts 
• Retirement savings programs with a competitive matching plan 
• Additional employee perks (e.g., corporate discounts, commuter or learning support) 

Benefits vary by country and are subject to plan terms and eligibility. 

#TMICC

Why join us?

This is a place for people who are passionate about ice cream and are growth obsessed - both for the business and for themselves. People who act like an owner and drive our business end-to-end. People who are driven by success to deliver more than we ever thought we could!

You’ll thrive here if you value an inclusive culture, with low ego and hierarchy - and if you’re excited to continuously learn and challenge how we work, using digital, data, and new thinking to push us forward.

- Roles with real accountability and visible impact

- Free to move fast, experiment and challenge how things are done

- Continuous learning and development as the business grows

- Reward linked to performance and contribution.

Your career here is shaped by what you deliver, as you work across functions and markets and grow with the business.

Ready to build the future of Ice Cream?

If this sounds like the place where you'd thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Apply online and share your CV. We'll review your application and be in touch with the next steps.

If you are an individual with a disability and require assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please let your Talent Acquisition Partner know.

Additional information

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal and Pay Transparency Non discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.