Global Marketing Innovation Leader, New Cultivars (1721)

Zespri is the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit with over 850 people in New Zealand and throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas.
 

We  help people, communities and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit. We sit at the heart of an interconnected industry working with 2,800 growers in New Zealand and 1,500 growers in Italy, France, Greece, South Korea and Japan. We supply the world’s healthiest little superfruits to people in more than 50 countries. We are fruit on a mission.
 

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. We commit to guardianship; putting people, the community, and the environment first. We are results-driven, challenging ourselves to grow and deliver better value. We cultivate personal connections, listening and acting with empathy and humility – and treating each other better for it.
 

We are growing quickly, driven by our success in engaging more and more consumers and by offering the world’s best kiwifruit 12 months of the year. We have bold ambitions and aim to grow sales from approximately $3 billion in 2018 to $4.5 billion by 2025.
 

To achieve our goals, we’re empowering our people to achieve their goals, designing our work for wellbeing, through flexible work practices and self-leadership.
 

We have bold ambitions for the future and we want all of our people to live and perform at their best.
 

This is a 2.5 days/week part time role, 12 months contract.

The Global Marketing Innovation Leader will be involve in developing current and future portfolio that delivers according to Zespri’s brand purpose and maximizes long-term value for our growers and stakeholders.
The accountabilities also includes:

•   Anticipate and follow long term consumer trends and translate those into actionable portfolio development plans
•    Be the voice of the consumer and develop an insightful mindset across the Innovation organization
•    Execute the future portfolio strategy for new kiwifruit varieties in close collaboration with market research, future cultivars innovation team and breeders. 
•    Develop consumer facing concepts and lead total marketing mix development for new varieties.
•    Be an active participant in Innovation forums and Innovation led projects to develop new varieties, representing the market interests and the voice of the consumer
•    Provide Market guidance for Stage 1 and 2 Breeding Programs of kiwifruit at KBC.
•    Lead Market Group Decisions on New Cultivars Stage 3, at pre-commercial level
•    Lead consumer research and in market pre-commercial trials in close collaboration with Market Research Manager, the pre-commercial team and the in-market teams
•    Lead business case development, particularly from the market dynamics point of view, anticipating demand volumes, pricing and financial returns for Zespri and the growers.
•    Liaising with Orchard, SC and Export teams the sourcing of fruit to support the required trials
•    Develop the “launch information kit” for new cultivars from a Market point of view, when a commercialization decision is made

We are looking for a senior leader who has proven experience operating in highly complex global markets, possess business and financial acumen. The successful candidate will also have:

•    At least 8 years in a formal / disciplined corporate brand marketing environment with relevant experience in consumer products;
•    Innovation management experience, from insight generation to marketing mix development and to leading innovation projects
•    Strong relationship management and communication skills with stakeholders.
•    Ability to lead and participate in cross functional teams,
•    Experience within foods, specially fresh produce categories is an advantage
 

Our people are what makes our culture so irresistible and uniquely Zespri. We are a passionate and mighty team of 850+ employees in 23 different locations globally. Working at Zespri is an opportunity to join a fast-paced, culture-driven environment unlike any other. We want people who share our values of being personally connected, results-driven, and committed to guardianship. Join us in shaping our future and be part of a truly unique organisation.

• FlexWELL flexible work ethos; WFH & the office.

• Global Life and Permanent Disability Insurance.

• Group Medical Insurance benefits.

Apply Now! Applications close 19 Jan 2024

At Zespri, we understand the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences, and a fair hiring process is the first step to getting there. We want to attract a diverse range of people and encourage everyone from all backgrounds and walks of life to apply. Please let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments to take part in the recruitment and selection process by reaching out to our Talent Acquisition team via email at  .

Zespri will not accept applications or contact from any temporary staffing agency, placement service or professional recruiter for this vacancy (“Agency”).

Where Zespri requires the support of an agency to fulfil a vacancy, we will proactively seek this support from our network of Agencies.  We respectfully ask that you do not contact Zespri or any of its affiliates/employees regarding vacancies, and reserve the right not to reply.

Zespri will not be responsible for, and will not pay, any fees, commissions or other payments related to such unsolicited resumes.