Manager – UFS Category Strategy & Innovation, MY

JOB TITLE: Manager – UFS Category Strategy & Innovation, MY

LOCATION: MALAYSIA

SCOPE: MALAYSIA

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

ABOUT UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTIONS

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) is the €2.5bn+ foodservice division of Unilever. It leads the dynamic Food Service market across its categories and has ambitious growth objectives, marketing a range of professional food and beverage products and services to operators across 22 Multi Country Organizations (MCOs) in 67 countries.  We carry a portfolio of local and international brands-- Knorr Professional, Lady’s Choice, Hellmann’s, and The Vegetarian Butcher. Our purpose is to Free Chefs to love what they do.  We work with Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers to create exciting menus that are good for diners, and good for the planet.  Our brands include Knorr Professional & Best Foods— trusted and used by chefs and F&B operators every day.

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. If you are a passionate marketer with a strong eye for category strategy, local market insight, portfolio management and innovation, then this role is an exciting opportunity to help shape sustainable growth in Malaysia.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

This role is about looking ahead and shaping the portfolio and innovation agenda for tomorrow. It is an exciting opportunity to do strategic work that will influence the business in Malaysia while using technology and data as important enablers of decision-making.

You will work closely with the Regional Category Marketing team, Head of Marketing MYSG, UFS chefs and the General Manager to shape and deliver the Malaysia category growth agenda through portfolio management and innovation. This role offers the opportunity to lead high-impact projects while partnering with cross-functional stakeholders across sales, finance, supply chain and consumer insights. Your day-to-day responsibilities will focus on the following key themes:

• Insights and data:

  • Build direct connections with Malaysian food operators, chefs, consumer insight teams and market insight teams to generate actionable insights for the Malaysia market.

  • Use the UFS Malaysia technology and data stack to develop market hypotheses and identify growth opportunities.

  • Translate insights into clear category strategies, portfolio choices and innovation priorities that meet local customer and consumer needs.

• Portfolio Management:

  • Work closely with R&D, chefs and commercial teams to run regular portfolio health reviews that maximize growth, profitability and local relevance.

  • Apply net revenue management principles to keep the category on track against growth, margin KPIs in Malaysia.

  • Optimize the Malaysia portfolio by identifying scale opportunities, simplifying complexity and reducing low-value tail items.

• Innovation Development:

  • Lead Malaysia innovation projects from idea through launch, working with cross-functional partners to ensure strong execution and market relevance.

  • Support and execute the country innovation strategy to build a strong Malaysia pipeline over the next 3 to 5 years.

  • Track innovation funnel sufficiency and in-market performance to ensure plans support business objectives, growth ambitions and OKRs in Malaysia.

  • Act as a key liaison across local teams and relevant regional stakeholders to keep priorities aligned and innovation projects on track.

• Additional learning opportunities:

  • You will have opportunities to contribute to broader marketing and technology projects, while building skills in areas such as data, digital and AI to support your long-term development as a well-rounded marketer.

• You will receive coaching and guidance to support both your personal growth and your long-term career at Unilever.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree.

• 2 to 3  years of experience in marketing, brand management, portfolio and innovation development, or consumer insights.

• Experience in the consumer goods industry is preferred.

• Able to start as soon as possible.

Skills

• Good understanding of marketing fundamentals and processes.

• High learning agility and adaptability, with a strong growth mindset.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

• Comfortable working through business challenges with a positive mindset.

• Strong self-organization and prioritization skills.

• Able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills.

•   Passion for uncovering customer insights.

• Ability to turn insight into strategy, and strategy into action.

• Strategic thinking.

• Commercial and P&L understanding.

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

Please apply online and add your updated resume. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements and we will be in touch to provide you with an update on the status of your application if shortlisted. 

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.