Innovation Manager

1 week ago

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Suntory Global Spirits Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

By harnessing the best of Suntory from across Australia and New Zealand, Suntory Global Spirits and Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania have come together in partnership to create a new $3bn multi-beverage powerhouse – Suntory Oceania

Underpinned by quality craftsmanship and a strong sense of purpose, the combined portfolio of over 40 market-leading brands will be powered by five distribution centres, more than 1,500 Suntorians and two local manufacturing sites. This includes the new carbon neutral facility that has opened in July 2025 in Ipswich Queensland. The new +$400 million, 17-hectare greenfield site is the largest single FMCG investment into Australia in the last decade, providing Suntory Oceania with ability to deliver the One Suntory Vision.

Across Australia and New Zealand, we live our Suntory purpose - to Inspire the Brilliance of Life – and as we embark on this exciting journey, we are looking for the brightest talent to join us in shaping the future of beverages in the region.

Mission of Role

The Innovation Manager owns a portfolio of Step Change Innovation projects with an execution horizon of 9 to 24 months. This ownership involves a full understanding of the role and value added by cross-functional teams at every stage of the projects to deliver key innovation milestones. These teams include Commercial functions such as Category Management, Shopper Marketing, On-Premise Marketing, and Sales; Marketing teams such as Brand & Insights; and Global Supply & Planning teams, including Commercialization and Research & Development.

The Innovation Manager also supports the Group Innovation Manager, Oceania, by monitoring the status of the pipeline, highlighting opportunities from Gemba insights, providing recommendations to Executive teams, and directly managing the overall RTD (Ready to Drink) and FBS (Full Bottle Spirits) NPD pipeline for Australia and New Zealand through strong collaboration with local brand teams and global brand houses/innovation teams.

A unique skill set is required to successfully perform this role. This includes both a structured, process-oriented thinking with attention to detail, a creative mindset to constantly seek opportunities and be comfortable with ambiguity when the situation demands it. A basic understanding of consumer insights and research is necessary for ideation and to create sound briefs, fundamental understanding of brand management to deliver innovation with Strategy in mind, along with a level of commercial acumen to effectively support NPDs in key customer forums post Gate 3.

Innovation is one of the teams within Suntory Oceania that deals with the largest number of stakeholders internally and externally, both locally and globally. Therefore, it is essential for the role to truly embody the Suntory Leadership Spirit values: Better Together, Gemba Focused, Commitment to Growth, Future Orientation, and Yatte Minahare.

Role Responsibilities

Own up to 10 strategic Step Change Innovation projects with a 9–24-month horizon
Own inputs into Stage Gate or Integrated Business Planning for allocated innovation projectsOwn research briefs for allocated innovation projectsOwn commercial cross-functional engagements (Shopper, Category, and Sales) for allocated innovation projectsOwn packaging development for allocated innovation projects, with inputs from BrandOwn project updates in internal communications such as key forums, town halls, and periodic planning meetingsOwn internal and external tastings for allocated innovation projects in collaboration with R&DSupport the liquid development process in collaboration with R&DSupport commercial teams in key range reviews and innovation sessions for allocated projectsPartner with the Group Innovation Manager on Global Brand House and Global Innovation updatesCollaborate with the Group Innovation Manager and Brand teams in the development of innovation as part of Growth/Annual plansSupport innovation pipeline updates for Australia and New ZealandCollaborate with the Group Innovation Manager on Innovation Gemba from a local competitor and industry standpointOwn internal Liquid Gemba sessionsOwn reporting of the monthly pipeline status with input from Commercialization

Competencies

Tertiary qualifications, preferably in Commerce or Business with a Marketing majorLiquor/beverage industry experience is valued but not essential6+ years of experience in consumer marketing, brand management, innovation, or consumer strategy developmentStrong understanding of consumer and brand marketing philosophies and practices, including brand marketing experienceResearch, insights, and strategy development experience preferredExperience briefing and evaluating innovation concepts and packaging designs aligned to the consumer Job to Be DoneStrong project management skillsStrong communication, time management, and organizational skillsAbility to analyze data and generate actionable insightsBroad, creative thinking and strong problem-solving abilities

  • Innovation Manager

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Suntory Global Spirits Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

    By harnessing the best of Suntory from across Australia and New Zealand, Suntory Global Spirits and Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania have come together in partnership to create a new $3bn multi-beverage powerhouse – Suntory OceaniaUnderpinned by quality craftsmanship and a strong sense of purpose, the combined portfolio of over 40 market-leading brands will...

  • Business Development Manager

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Orac Innovation Full time $60,000 - $120,000 per year

    Join Our AI-Powered Lead Revival Revolution: Business Development Manager (Commission-Only, Flexible Part-Time) – Tap Into Your Network & Earn BigAre you a networking powerhouse with connections in high-lead-generation industries? Do you know businesses sitting on mountains of untapped leads they no longer pursue? If you're recently retired, looking for...

  • Innovation Manager

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia PharmaCare Full time $80,000 - $120,000 per year

    At PharmaCare, we are dedicated to enriching people's lives through improved health and wellness. As an Australian born and built success story we are proud of our heritage and remain a 100% Australian owned and family operated business. We have built on our success at home and now have sales and marketing operations around the globe, where we sell and...

  • Innovation and Propositions Manager

    1 week ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia TAL Australia Full time $104,000 - $130,878 per year

    Company DescriptionBe part of transforming the future of the life insuranceAccessible, experienced leadership that drives vision and innovationA friendly, diverse environment that values collaborationWhy join us?Welcome to TAL. As a leading life insurer, we've been protecting Australians for over 150 years. Backed by Dai-ichi Life, we're driven by big...

  • Innovation Project Manager

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Opella Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

    Innovation Project Manager- AMEALocation: Brisbane (Preferred) Open to Sydney Hybrid 2/day Work from home Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally.​Our mission: to bring health in people's hands by making self-care as simple as it...

  • Manager Network Innovation

    4 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Transgrid Full time

    Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:Transgrid is leading the transition to a clean, affordable and reliable energy future. We are seeking a dynamic Manager Network Innovation to drive the development, delivery and integration of network innovation initiatives and non-network solutions that will shape the future of the energy system.What you'll...

  • Manager Network Innovation

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia TransGrid Full time $180,000 - $250,000 per year

    About the RoleTransgrid is leading the transition to a clean, affordable and reliable energy future. We are seeking a dynamic Manager Network Innovation to drive the development, delivery and integration of network innovation initiatives and non-network solutions that will shape the future of the energy system. What you'll doShape and lead our network...

  • Manager Network Innovation

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Transgrid Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

    About the RoleTransgrid is leading the transition to a clean, affordable and reliable energy future. We are seeking a dynamic Manager Network Innovation to drive the development, delivery and integration of network innovation initiatives and non-network solutions that will shape the future of the energy system.What you'll doShape and lead our network...

  • Ecommerce Innovation Manager

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sharp & Carter Sales and Marketing Full time $120,000 - $180,000 per year

    OverviewReporting to the Head of Ecommerce, the eCommerce Innovation Manager will be responsible for driving revenue growth for the online business by optimising all aspects of the trading and operations of the Australian and New Zealand websites, and the CRM, email marketing and performance marketing programs.Responsibilities Website Trading: Manage the...

  • Innovation Coordinator

    2 weeks ago

    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Allens Full time $90,000 - $120,000 per year

    Your roleAt Allens, our business teams are also specialists in their field, using their unique knowledge and expertise to solve critical client and business challenges.You'll be a part of our Innovation and Digital Solutions team based in Sydney or Melbourne.As a key member of our dynamic team, you'll be involved in innovative projects that shape the future...