Position Title: Sr Manager Open Innovation Proc.
Lausanne, VD, CH, 1007
Be a part of a revolutionary change.
At PMI, we’ve chosen to do something incredible. We’re totally transforming our business and building our future on one clear purpose – to deliver a smoke-free future.
With huge change comes huge opportunity. So, wherever you join us, you’ll enjoy the freedom to dream up and deliver better, brighter solutions and the space to move your career forward in endlessly different directions.
Wherever you join our crucial 47,000-strong Operations team, you’ll have the opportunity to make an impact. PMI’s shift from selling cigarettes to our new smoke-free products has changed the way we work. New products bring new challenges – in the way we source and buy raw materials, in the way we engineer and manufacture, and in our supply chain planning.
Bring us your curiosity and a desire to challenge the everyday, and we’ll give you lots of responsibility. You’ll help us improve, inject innovation, and create new ways of working.
We are now recruiting for a visionary and collaborative Senior Manager Open Innovation Procurement to lead our innovation ecosystem strategy, drive impactful partnerships and contribute to defining innovation across PMI, that will all support our transformation and smoke-free vision.
Your purpose –
You will be at the forefront of identifying, engaging, and leading strategic partners—from startups to research institutions—to co-create solutions that accelerate innovation across our operations and product development. You’ll act as a bridge between internal teams and external innovators, ensuring alignment, execution, and long-term value creation.
Your ‘day to day’ –
- Lead Innovation Partnerships: Develop and implement strategies to attract and handle a diverse supplier base, including startups, SMEs, and research institutions. Facilitate collaboration across internal and external partners to deliver innovative solutions.
- Drive Strategic Sourcing: Partner with R&D and Operations to support the innovation pipeline. Lead sourcing and contracting processes, ensuring speed, cost-efficiency, and compliance with PMI standards.
- Champion a Culture of Innovation: Promote openness to external ideas, support change, and build internal awareness through showcases, reports, and pilot programs.
- Ensure Compliance & Best Practices: Uphold corporate policies, including sustainability, legal, finance, and data integrity. Ensure fairness and transparency in supplier relationships.
- Manage a Team, Build Capabilities & Embrace Digitalization: Manage and develop a team (3-5) and their capabilities in innovation and strategic procurement. Leverage digital tools and AI to improve efficiency and reduce administrative workload.
Who we’re looking for –
- A University/College degree in Science, Economics, Finance, or Supply Chain Management.
- Confirmed experience in innovation-driven environments, ideally within FMCG, pharma, covering Operations and/or Product Development functional roles.
- Validated Procurement experience, with a scope encompassing Product Development and Sourcing activities.
- Proven track record in open innovation, supplier relationship management (SRM), and developing ecosystem partnerships for groundbreaking projects and technologies.
- Strong project and people leadership skills, with the ability to lead in ambiguity and develop others.
- Financial competence and familiarity with IP, legal, and QA fundamentals.
- Proficient in English; additional languages are a plus.
What You Bring -
- Strategic thinking with a hands-on, results-driven mindset.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and collaborator engagement skills.
- Comfort working with senior leadership and scientific/technical communities.
- An entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for innovation, sustainability, and creating long-term value.
What we offer -
Our success depends on the people who come to work every single day with a sense of purpose and an appetite for progress. Join PMI and you too can:
- Seize the freedom to define your future and ours. We’ll empower you to do things differently, experiment and explore.
- Be part of an inclusive, diverse culture, where everyone’s contribution is respected; collaborate with some of the world’s best people and feel like you belong.
- Pursue your ambitions and develop your skills with a global business – our staggering size and scale provides endless opportunities to progress.
- Take pride in delivering our promise to society: to create a smoke free future.
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