Job Description

The CTI Manager ensures products delight consumers and pets by driving consumer insights into product development. This role partners with Marketing (pre-DB gate) to shape Product Briefs and with R&D (post-DB gate) to deliver target consumer experiences. Key responsibilities include leading innovation framing, governing in-home product performance testing, and bridging technical and consumer perspectives to support China's growth agenda.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Co‑develop innovation pipeline with Marketing and Product Development

• Contribute to PMR/Step 1 forums and local Growth Planning sessions to support innovation that meets China Petcare growth targets.

• Facilitate innovation framing sessions with stakeholders to ensure desirable, viable, feasible direction.

• Recommend product development or portfolio strategy based on existing knowledge and new research findings.

• Represent market view and provide input to technology development programs.

2. Perform consumer and product design interface for innovation & renovation

• Lead Design Thinking and Front End Framework to enable agile innovation.

• Translate consumer/customer insights into product/pack design attributes; consolidate cross‑functional inputs into Product Briefs.

• Set Product Critical Success Factors (CSFs) balancing desirability, feasibility, and viability.

• Recommend product/prototype designs based on consumer and technical facts; provide consumer‑based attribute inputs to Product Development.

• Bridge Marketing and Technical teams with local market and technical awareness.

3. Determine, execute, and report consumer testing for product desirability

• Design consumer learning plans for innovation programs to ensure portfolio desirability.

• Recommend success criteria and action standards with MOG/SOG interface.

• Design research, execute studies, and report findings (via agencies or local associate panels) to support product/business decisions.

4. Manage CTI research budget and agency quality (in partnership with CMI)

5. Develop consumer & customer insight capability

• Broaden consumer insight knowledge to support innovation.

• Network with global R&I community, external industries/agencies to ensure application of current research methodologies.

• Continuously improve consumer research best practices.

• Develop local associate panel capability for agility and efficiency.

6. Plan & execute palatability testing for global product performance program & R&D activities

• Maintain excellent controlled in‑home consumer panel quality with research agency; refresh panel for market representation.

• Plan and track PPP budget status.

• Execute in‑home palatability testing on time for quarterly rhythm.

• For R&D activities, select best method, protocol, and benchmark per learning plan; report results promptly to project owner and cross‑functional teams.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor or above degree in Food Science, Sensory Science, Consumer Science or related fields

• At least 5 years in Consumer Science within R&D from Food/Nutrition/ Petfood sector

• Expert in current and innovative Consumer Science methodologies applied to product development/innovation

• Proficient in consumer science software and statistics (e.g., Minitab, SPSS, SAS)

• Strong communication and presentation skills in English and Chinese