Global Initiatives Leader

Together, WE enable individuals to look, feel, and be their true selves. Wella Company is one of the world’s leading beauty companies, comprised of a family of iconic brands such as Wella Professionals, Clairol, OPI, Nioxin, and ghd. With 6,000 employees globally and a presence in over 100 countries, Wella Company and its brands empower consumers, inspire beauty professionals, engage communities, and deliver sustainable growth to its stakeholders.

About the role

The Global Initiative Leader (GIL) is responsible for leading the activities of a multi-functional team to develop and execute a comprehensive initiative plan that delivers in-market success. The Initiative Leader uses expertise in Initiative Systems to achieve outstanding, breakthrough business results. They collaborate closely with multi-functional team members—especially the Commercial/Brand Leader and Go-to-Market Leader—to ensure all necessary learning, qualification, and execution activities support a successful launch. The role involves managing a portfolio of projects that may include new product launches and Supply Chain design, depending on business needs.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end readiness and timeliness of the initiative across technical, commercial, and financial aspects.
• Lead the integration of the multi-functional team, leveraging innovation processes for breakthrough speed, productivity, and quality execution.
• Support SIL in execution post-commit gate as required (varies by category and initiative specifics).
• Collaborate with multi-functional partners to deliver a portfolio of initiatives that fulfills the brand innovation strategy in consumer offer, business scale, profitability, and Wella standards.
• Build alignment with initiative stakeholders on all plans.
• Drive crisis-like collaboration and consolidate Initiative team recommendations (including SKU portfolio and sourcing, make vs. buy).
• Ensure adherence to operating strategies for new launches or drive team recommendations for deviations.
• Own the resolution of initiative issues, demonstrating courageous leadership and smart risk-taking.
• Oversee action plans led by SIL and IP, and lead resolution plans in case of escalation through the alert process.
• Frame and communicate effectively to leadership to ensure fast decision-making.
• Serve as the single point of contact (SPOC) to leadership for all initiative reporting, Gate decisions, and change management.
• Coordinate communication and recommendations with functional leadership across Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, and Commercial functions.
• Clarify business objectives and expectations, and deliver project Success Criteria with a focus on Business First, Project Second.
• Guide initiative teams to develop holistic Gate-process-based learnings to deliver on-time Commercial, Technical, and Market readiness.
• Coach Initiative team members to deliver tasks in synchronization with efficient cross-functional interaction.

Requirements

• Project management experience.
• Understanding of new product development processes and stage-gate approach.
• Exposure to production environments and interaction with packaging, process, and manufacturing functions.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project capabilities.
• 2-3 years of project management-related experience (essential).
• Additional background in planning, purchasing, R&D, or technical environments (beneficial).
• Experience in Wella Operations or related industries (e.g., pharmaceutical, paint, food, FMCG) is preferred.

Skills & Behaviors

• Strong leadership and teamwork skills.
• Demonstrates a strong sense of individual accountability.
• Autonomous, action-oriented, and pragmatic.
• Committed to delivering results and pursuing stretch targets.
• Takes conscious and calculated risks.
• Makes fast decisions by balancing intuition and facts.
• Proactively seeks improvement, acts as a solution provider, and solves problems.
• Drives innovation within real-life constraints.
• Learns from successes and failures, and reapplies best practices.
• Embraces and accelerates change in a fast-paced environment.
• Resilient and flexible, adapting to new challenges.
• Passionate, enthusiastic, and maintains a healthy attitude under pressure.
• Communicates effectively, delivers impactful presentations, and addresses issues directly.
• Willing to help others and focuses on customer needs.
• Solicits and benefits from feedback.
• Demonstrates relevant business knowledge and financial awareness.
• Dedicated to driving the business in a profitable and sustainable way.
• Guides others through change by example.
• Adapts leadership style to situations and people, balancing delegation and control.
• Provides constructive and actionable feedback to improve performance and development.
• Recognizes the contributions of others and differentiates fairly.

Pay

Range: $106,500 - $177,500 salary per year plus bonus. Actual salaries will vary based on factors including location, experience, skills, and comparison to internal incumbents in similar roles.

Benefits

• Annual bonus plan or variable pay, depending on the role.
• Health insurance.
• Life and disability insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid holidays and paid time off (PTO).