Sr. Manager, Global Initiative Leader

About the role

The Global Initiative Leader (GIL) is responsible for leading a cross-functional team to develop and execute a comprehensive initiative plan that delivers in-market success and strong business results.

Responsibilities

• Leverages expertise in initiative systems, collaborating closely with multifunctional stakeholders—particularly R&D, Commercial/Brand Leader and Go-to-Market Leader—to ensure all learning, qualification, and execution activities are effectively completed in support of a successful launch.
• Manages a portfolio of projects aligned with business priorities, across new product launches and Supply Chain design.
• Leads and manages projects through the stage-gate process, ensuring robust preparation and execution.
• Owes a portfolio of initiatives using clear Critical Path Schedules (CPS), aligned dependencies, and milestone tracking.
• Drives delivery of innovation, new launches, margin improvement, and compliance projects.
• Ensures clarity of objectives, success criteria, and full readiness (technical, commercial, financial) at launch.
• Captures cross-functional teams (Brand, Markets, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, Regulatory, QA) for aligned execution.
• Promotes partnerships with stakeholders to deliver a strong pipeline that supports strategy, growth, and profitability.
• Synthesizes inputs into clear recommendations for leadership decisions.
• Embeds learnings across projects to continuously improve speed, quality, and effectiveness.
• Actively identifies, manages, and escalates risks to ensure timely mitigation and decision-making.
• Acts as the single point of contact for governance, clearly framing risks, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Oversees escalation plans, ensuring strong structure, follow-through, and fast issue resolution.
• Leads through influence, coaching teams to operate effectively within the stage-gate process.
• Ensures coordinated, high-quality execution across functions, delivering on time, cost, and scope.
• Builds capability by coaching team members and strengthening initiative management practices.
• Effectively delegates, monitors progress, and ensures high standards of delivery.
• Drives adoption of tools, methodologies, and best practices across teams.
• Supports smooth transition from planning to execution, ensuring continuity and proactive issue resolution.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in Supply Chain and Project/Initiative Management (FMCG)
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, or related field
• Proven project management experience (2–3+ years)
• Strong understanding of NPD and Stage-Gate processes
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project
• Experience in Supply Chain (Planning, Manufacturing, Procurement) or R&D
• Exposure to manufacturing environments and cross-functional teams (Packaging, Process, Production)

Skills (Knowledge/ Capabilities)

• Influences and aligns stakeholders
• Leads with clarity, pace, and strong results focus
• Builds collaborative, cross-functional relationships
• Adapts leadership style to people and situations
• Provides clear, timely feedback
• Communicates simply to enable decisions
• Takes ownership and delivers on commitments
• Simplifies complexity and prioritizes what matters
• Uses data and judgment to solve problems
• Stays resilient under pressure
• Acts with urgency while maintaining quality
• Makes timely, confident decisions

Benefits

We disclose the compensation range for positions in compliance with local law. Actual salaries will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, skills and in comparison to internal incumbents currently in similar roles.

Pay Range: $108,750 - $145,000 salary per year.

The range listed is just one component of Wella Company's total rewards package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus plan or variable pay, depending on the role.

In addition, Wella Company provides a rich variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO).

Equal Employment Opportunity

EEO OPPORTUNITIES We offer equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We strongly believe that cultivating a diverse workplace gives a company strength. The combination of unique skills, abilities, experiences and backgrounds creates an environment that produces extraordinary results.

EEO Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled.

English - Please click on this link to review the Notification of Equal Opportunity Rights poster

Español - Por favor, haga un clic en el enlace para revisar el poster de la Ley de los Derechos de Igualdad de Empleo