Manager - Innovation

Help transform our business as we take our brands to new heights and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world. Join us for career defining opportunities that give you the chance to thrive. Job Title Manager - Innovation About the Function: Our Marketing team are creators, helping to build and nurture some of the world's most loved brands. We craft amazing connections with people around the world to celebrate our brands' legacies and reimagine them for the world today, and into the future. Everything we do is underpinned by a deep understanding of our consumers, behaviours, trends, and technologies. Using our genius and creativity, we unlock our brands' uniqueness, understand their purpose, and put them at the heart of celebrations everywhere. Together, we're celebrating diversity and challenging stereotypes through our advertising and marketing. Wherever your talents lie, from Design to Consumer Planning, you'll be celebrated and supported in our inclusive culture. Diageo India's Innovation (New Growth Engines) team is on a mission to shape the future of drinking by building disruptive, scalable, and strategic growth engines that unlock new consumer occasions, reimagine brands, and lead category transformation. This role sits at the intersection of Brand Strategy and Innovation, designed for a next-generation marketer who thrives on identifying bold whitespace opportunities, developing new-to-market propositions, and delivering future-ready innovations rooted in deep consumer, cultural, and commercial insight. As Manager – New Growth Engines, you will own and drive end-to-end innovation projects from insight to in-market execution, while collaborating closely with brand teams to ensure synergy between core brand equity and innovation ambition. You'll also play a key role in shaping Diageo's strategic innovation bets across key portfolios. Roles and Responsibilities Shape the Future: Innovation Strategy & Concepting Build and own the pipeline of new growth engines, spanning brand renovations, category expansion, and breakthrough propositions. Mine cultural, consumer, and category trends to identify future growth vectors and white space opportunities. Craft compelling innovation concepts and value propositions grounded in brand equity and scalable commercial models. Win Through Execution: Project Management & GTM Lead cross-functional project teams (Brand, Supply, R&D, Commercial, Finance) to develop and commercialize innovations with pace, discipline, and excellence. Co-create go-to-market strategies and launch plans in partnership with brand teams and customer marketing. Monitor launch performance, ROI, and consumer feedback, and drive course-corrections for sustained success. Inspire with Creativity & Commercial Acumen Bring creative flair to every touchpoint—from pack design to campaign assets—while ensuring commercial viability and executional feasibility. Collaborate with agency partners and internal teams to drive breakthrough ideas that elevate both product and experience. Lead With Influence & Collaboration Partner seamlessly with brand leads, global innovation, and commercial teams to drive alignment and advocacy across stakeholders. Build credibility with senior leaders by presenting business cases, insights, and strategic POVs with clarity and conviction. Qualifications and Experience Required: Experience & Skills MBA in Marketing or equivalent from a Tier I/II institute. 6–8 years of experience in brand marketing, innovation, or category strategy within FMCG, lifestyle, or consumer-first industries. Proven track record in translating consumer and cultural insight into commercial success, especially in new product development or brand transformation initiatives. Experience managing cross-functional projects from ideation through to market launch. Mindset & Capabilities A rare blend of creativity + commercial sharpness + execution excellence. Strategic thinker with a bias for action and ability to operate in ambiguity. Strong analytical capability and a keen eye for design, storytelling, and consumer experience. Collaborative team player who can diverse teams together to drive outcomes. High energy, resilient, and open to bold bets and smart risks.

With over 200 brands sold in more than 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Every day, over 30,000 talented people come together at Diageo to create the magic behind our much-loved brands. From iconic names to innovative newcomers – the brands we're building are rooted in culture and local communities. Our ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and most respected consumer products companies in the world.