Fragrance Design Manager - Beauty & Wellbeing

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Fragrance Design Manager - Beauty & Wellbeing

Company: Unilever

Location: Port Sunlight Research Lab, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Fragrance Design & Development (R&D)

Date Posted: 2026-05-08

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (Implied 5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end fragrance design process for Unilever's Beauty & Wellbeing brands across the South East Asian market, ensuring olfactive excellence and regional relevance.

• Act as a strategic fragrance partner to Brand and R&D teams, influencing fragrance direction from initial concept through to product launch.

• Develop and curate distinctive local fragrance "jewels" rooted in deep regional consumer insights, while leveraging the global Beauty & Wellbeing creative fragrance bank.

• Drive cross-functional collaboration with Formulation, Consumer Insights, Regulatory, and Procurement to ensure fragrance scalability, compliance, and high quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided input focuses on a Fragrance Design Manager role, the request is to enhance it for Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, or GTM roles. This requires a significant reinterpretation and transformation of the job description's core focus to align with operations principles. The following enhancement will assume the role is for a "GTM Operations Manager" or similar, focusing on operationalizing Go-To-Market strategies within a large FMCG context like Unilever. All fragrance-specific details will be replaced with operations-centric equivalents.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Operationalize and streamline Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies for new product launches and market expansions within the Beauty & Wellbeing categories, focusing on efficiency and speed to market.

• Develop and manage GTM project plans, coordinating across Sales, Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure seamless execution and adherence to timelines.

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for GTM initiatives, providing data-driven insights and recommendations for continuous process improvement.

• Collaborate with regional teams to understand market-specific GTM challenges and opportunities, translating these into actionable operational plans.

• Implement and optimize sales enablement tools and processes to ensure sales teams are equipped with the necessary information, training, and resources for successful product introductions.

• Drive alignment between marketing campaign execution and sales channel readiness, ensuring a cohesive and effective customer experience.

• Manage the operational aspects of product launches, including forecasting, inventory planning coordination, and distribution channel readiness.

• Identify and implement best practices in GTM operations, drawing on industry benchmarks and internal learnings to enhance overall GTM effectiveness.

• Support the development and refinement of sales playbooks and operational guides for new product introductions and market entries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The original role of Fragrance Design Manager has been re-contextualized into a GTM Operations Manager role. Responsibilities have been adapted to focus on operationalizing launch strategies, cross-functional coordination, KPI management, sales enablement, and process optimization within an FMCG context. This assumes a need to translate the strategic intent of product launches into tactical operational execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Marketing, or a related field. A Master's degree or MBA is a plus.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in Go-To-Market operations, sales operations, project management, or a related GTM function within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in operationalizing GTM strategies, including project planning, execution, and monitoring.

• Strong understanding of FMCG/CPG market dynamics, product launch cycles, and sales channel operations.

• Expertise in cross-functional project management and stakeholder management, with the ability to influence and drive alignment across diverse teams (Sales, Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Finance).

• Proficiency in developing and tracking GTM KPIs, utilizing data analytics to identify trends and recommend operational improvements.

• Experience with sales enablement principles and tools, including content management and training delivery.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate complex operational plans and insights clearly.

• Familiarity with CRM platforms and other sales/GTM operational software.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with process mapping, optimization, and automation within GTM workflows.

• Knowledge of data visualization tools for GTM performance reporting.

• Experience managing GTM operations for diverse product portfolios and markets, particularly in South East Asia.

• Familiarity with Agile methodologies applied to project and product launch management.

• Experience in mentoring or guiding junior operations team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The skills section has been completely re-written to reflect the requirements of a GTM Operations Manager. This includes adapting the "fragrance design" experience to "GTM operations," "olfactive capability" to "data analytics," and "fragrance house partners" to "sales enablement tools/processes." The implied experience level of 5-10 years is integrated into the requirements.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrable examples of successfully managed GTM launch projects, showcasing scope, complexity, and cross-functional coordination.

• Case studies detailing process improvements implemented within GTM or sales operations, highlighting quantifiable efficiency gains or speed-to-market enhancements.

• Documentation or descriptions of systems and tools utilized to manage GTM workflows, track progress, and report on KPIs.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of GTM process maps or workflow diagrams developed to streamline launch activities.

• Documentation of implemented GTM operational procedures, including best practices for cross-functional collaboration and decision-making.

• Case studies showcasing the measurement and analysis of GTM operational performance, including the use of metrics to drive iterative improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is entirely new, focusing on the operational aspects expected in a GTM Operations Manager role. It emphasizes practical experience in managing launch processes, improving operational efficiency, and utilizing systems, which are critical for operations professionals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £55,000 - £75,000 per annum (Estimated based on industry benchmarks for a GTM Operations Manager with 5-10 years of experience in the UK FMCG sector, considering London/North West cost of living and Unilever's typical compensation structure for this level. This is an estimate and actual compensation may vary.)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Company pension scheme with employer contributions.

• Opportunities for flexible working arrangements, including hybrid work options.

• Employee discounts on Unilever products.

• Access to professional development programs, training, and career advancement opportunities.

• Life assurance and income protection benefits.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility often available to accommodate project deadlines and regional market needs. Occasional travel to South East Asia or other regional offices may be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on UK market data for similar roles and experience levels within large FMCG companies, factoring in the Port Sunlight location. Benefits are standard for a corporate role at this level. The working hours are adjusted to reflect typical operational demands.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) with a strong focus on Beauty & Wellbeing products. Unilever is a global leader with a vast portfolio and significant market presence.

Company Size: Large multinational corporation (typically 100,000+ employees globally), indicating a structured environment with established processes and opportunities for large-scale impact.

Founded: Unilever has a long history (founded in 1929), suggesting a stable organization with deep industry expertise and a commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Team Structure:

• The GTM Operations team likely operates within a broader Commercial Operations or GTM function, reporting to a Head of GTM Operations or similar senior leader.

• This role requires close collaboration with Brand Management, R&D (specifically product development), Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and potentially external partners like Fragrance Houses (in their operational support capacity).

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, leveraging performance analytics to inform GTM strategies and operational adjustments.

• Emphasis on process optimization and efficiency gains to accelerate product launches and market penetration in a competitive FMCG landscape.

• Collaborative approach to problem-solving, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued to achieve optimal GTM outcomes.

• Focus on continuous improvement, learning from each launch to refine processes for future initiatives.

Company Website: https://www.unilever.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates the company's background (Unilever, FMCG, Beauty/Wellbeing) into operational implications. It describes how a large, established company might structure its GTM operations and the methodologies it would likely employ.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-to-senior level position within Operations, often termed "Manager" or "Senior Manager." It involves significant responsibility for project execution, process management, and cross-functional leadership within GTM initiatives. The scope extends to regional market operations, indicating a growing leadership track.

Reporting Structure: The Fragrance Design Manager typically reports into a senior R&D or Brand function. In our re-interpreted GTM Operations Manager role, this position would likely report to a Director or VP of Go-To-Market Operations, Sales Operations, or Commercial Operations.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on Unilever's ability to successfully bring new products to market, influencing revenue generation, market share, and brand equity by ensuring efficient and effective GTM execution across key regions like South East Asia. Strong operational execution can lead to faster adoption, better sales performance, and improved consumer satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in GTM strategy, project management, process automation, and data analytics for GTM performance.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into senior management roles overseeing larger GTM operations teams, regional GTM strategies, or broader commercial operations functions.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Possibility to transition into related roles within Sales Management, Brand Management, or Supply Chain Operations, leveraging a holistic understanding of the GTM lifecycle.

• International Exposure: Potential for international assignments or leadership of global GTM operational initiatives, building on the regional focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis re-frames the career progression from a fragrance design perspective to operations and GTM. It emphasizes the impact on revenue and market success, which is crucial for operations roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at the Port Sunlight Research Lab, suggesting a blend of office-based work and potential collaboration within a scientific/R&D environment, though the GTM Operations Manager role would primarily function within a commercial/office setting. It's likely a hybrid environment.

Office Location(s): Port Sunlight, United Kingdom. This location offers a dedicated R&D hub for Unilever, providing access to various functions and resources. It's situated within the Liverpool City Region, offering good connectivity.

Workspace Context:

• A collaborative office environment designed to foster teamwork and cross-functional interaction, essential for managing complex GTM projects.

• Access to standard office technology, project management software, and communication tools to facilitate seamless operations.

• Opportunities to interact with diverse teams across Brand, Marketing, Sales, R&D, and Supply Chain, providing a broad perspective on the business.

Work Schedule: The role is advertised as full-time. While a standard 9-5 structure is common, the nature of GTM operations, especially involving international markets and product launches, often requires flexibility to meet deadlines, manage urgent issues, and coordinate across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section adapts the "Research Lab" context to a more general office environment suitable for a GTM Operations Manager, emphasizing collaboration and the necessary tools for operational work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications, focusing on relevant GTM operations experience, project management skills, and understanding of FMCG markets.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience with GTM strategy, operational execution, cross-functional leadership, and problem-solving abilities. Be prepared to discuss specific GTM launch experiences.

• Cross-Functional Interview(s): Interviews with stakeholders from Sales, Marketing, or R&D to assess collaboration skills, communication effectiveness, and ability to influence.

• Case Study/Presentation: A potential exercise requiring you to analyze a GTM scenario, propose an operational plan, or present a past project's success, focusing on efficiency and impact.

• Final Interview: Often with a senior leader to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and long-term potential within the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each project or initiative presented, clearly articulate the operational improvements, efficiency gains, speed-to-market enhancements, or revenue impact achieved. Use specific metrics and data.

• Process Focus: Showcase your ability to map, analyze, and optimize GTM workflows. Include examples of process documentation or improvements you've led.

• Stakeholder Management: Highlight instances where you successfully managed diverse stakeholder expectations and drove alignment across different departments.

• Problem-Solving: Present case studies that demonstrate your analytical skills and ability to overcome operational challenges during product launches or market entries.

• Tool Proficiency: Briefly mention the operational tools and technologies you've utilized to manage GTM processes and reporting.

Challenge Preparation:

• GTM Scenario Analysis: Be ready to discuss how you would operationalize a new product launch in a specific market (e.g., South East Asia), identifying key operational steps, potential challenges, and mitigation strategies.

• Process Improvement Proposal: Prepare to outline a process improvement for a common GTM bottleneck (e.g., launch briefing, sales enablement deployment) and present the expected benefits.

• KPI Definition: Practice defining relevant GTM operational KPIs and explaining how you would track and report on them.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to a GTM Operations role, focusing on portfolio content relevant to process optimization, project management, and data-driven results, which are key for operations professionals.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• CRM Systems: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365 (for managing sales pipelines, customer data, and sales enablement).

• Project Management Software: Asana, Trello, Jira, Microsoft Project (for planning, tracking, and managing GTM project timelines and tasks).

• Collaboration Platforms: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom (for communication, virtual meetings, and cross-functional collaboration).

Analytics & Reporting:

• BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, QlikView (for creating dashboards, analyzing GTM performance data, and generating reports).

• Spreadsheet Software: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets (for detailed data analysis, forecasting, and ad-hoc reporting).

• Sales Analytics Platforms: Tools specific to FMCG or GTM analytics for market performance tracking.

CRM & Automation:

• Marketing Automation Tools: HubSpot, Marketo (for managing marketing campaigns that integrate with sales efforts).

• Integration Tools: Zapier, MuleSoft (for connecting different systems and automating data flow between sales, marketing, and operational platforms).

• ERP Systems: SAP, Oracle (understanding foundational data and processes related to product, inventory, and financials).

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for operations and GTM roles, focusing on project management, CRM, analytics, and collaboration, reflecting typical requirements in a large FMCG company.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Efficiency & Agility: A strong drive to streamline processes, reduce time-to-market, and adapt quickly to changing market conditions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on metrics and analytics to inform operational strategies and measure success.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A commitment to working effectively across departments to achieve shared GTM goals.

• Accountability & Ownership: Taking responsibility for the successful operational execution of GTM initiatives and driving results.

• Continuous Improvement: A proactive mindset focused on identifying opportunities for enhancing operational processes and performance.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively seeking input and alignment from Brand, Sales, Marketing, R&D, and Supply Chain to ensure comprehensive GTM readiness.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open and honest communication channels to keep all stakeholders informed of progress, risks, and decisions.

• Constructive Feedback: Encouraging a culture where feedback is shared openly and used to refine operational plans and execution.

• Shared Ownership: Fostering a sense of collective responsibility for the success of product launches and GTM initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates the company's general values into operations-specific behaviors and collaboration styles relevant to a GTM Operations Manager role within Unilever.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Managing diverse stakeholder needs and priorities across multiple functions and potentially international markets.

• Pace & Ambiguity: Operating effectively in a fast-paced FMCG environment where market dynamics can shift rapidly, requiring agile operational responses.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent execution and communication across teams that may have different objectives or operational capacities.

• Data Integration & Reporting: Consolidating data from various sources to provide a clear, actionable view of GTM operational performance.

• Scalability: Ensuring operational processes and systems can scale effectively to support new product introductions and market expansions across regions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• GTM Strategy Workshops: Participation in advanced training on GTM strategy formulation and execution.

• Operations Excellence Programs: Access to internal or external programs focused on Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies.

• Leadership Development Tracks: Opportunities for formal leadership training and mentorship to prepare for senior operational roles.

• Industry Conferences: Attendance at GTM, Sales Operations, or FMCG industry events to stay abreast of best practices and emerging trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed from an operations and GTM perspective, highlighting common hurdles and development paths for professionals in this field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you operationalized a complex GTM strategy for a new product launch. What were the key operational steps, challenges, and your role in ensuring success?" (Focus on process, cross-functional coordination, and outcome.)

• "How would you measure the success of a GTM launch operationally? What KPIs would you track, and how would you use that data to drive improvements?" (Emphasize data-driven approach and continuous improvement.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Unilever and the FMCG industry, what do you see as the primary operational challenges for bringing new Beauty & Wellbeing products to market in South East Asia?" (Demonstrate industry and regional awareness.)

• "How would you contribute to Unilever's culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within a GTM operations context?" (Align your approach with company values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around key GTM operational achievements. For each example, clearly state the objective, your role, the operational steps taken, the challenges overcome, and the quantifiable results (e.g., % improvement in launch speed, reduction in operational errors, sales uplift attributable to operational readiness).

• Visual Aids: Use flowcharts or diagrams to illustrate complex processes you've designed or optimized. Employ charts and graphs to present data and KPIs effectively.

• Storytelling: Frame your experiences as compelling narratives that showcase your problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and ability to drive operational excellence.

• Relevance: Tailor your presentation to highlight experiences most relevant to FMCG GTM operations, cross-functional collaboration, and market execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation questions and portfolio advice are specifically designed for a GTM Operations Manager role, focusing on operational execution, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration within a large corporate setting.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this GTM Operations position:

• Submit your application through Unilever's careers portal, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience in Go-To-Market operations, sales operations, project management, and your understanding of the FMCG/CPG industry. Quantify achievements with metrics related to efficiency, speed-to-market, or successful product launches.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate examples of GTM launch projects, process improvement initiatives, and data analysis reports. Be ready to discuss your role, the operational challenges, and the quantifiable business impact of your work.

• Research Unilever's GTM: Understand Unilever's brand portfolio, particularly in Beauty & Wellbeing, and research their approach to market entry and product innovation. Consider the operational implications for regions like South East Asia.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare to answer behavioral and situational questions focused on your GTM operational experience, cross-functional collaboration, problem-solving skills, and leadership capabilities.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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