Global Head of Digital Solutions, Innovation & R&D (m/f/d) Bewerben

About us

Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavors, cosmetic active ingredients as well as functional ingredients. Its customers include perfume, cosmetics, food and beverage manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of dietary supplements and pet food.

With sales of around €5.0 billion in the 2024 financial year, the company is one of the world's leading providers. The Group, headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, has more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, the USA and Latin America.

Together with its customers, Symrise develops new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked.

Symrise – always inspiring more...

Your role

Reporting to the Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), the Global Head of Digital Solutions will drive the development of a world-class, digitally enabled ecosystem that supports Symrise’s ambitious goals in Innovation and R&D. This role is pivotal in aligning with our dynamic business vision, building the right digital infrastructure to enable core business activities, and supporting the transition to a product-based operating model.

As a trusted advisor to the CDIO and executive stakeholders, you will help shape strategic decisions by delivering actionable insights that align technology, data, and AI with business needs. Leading a team of product owners, you will oversee high-stakes digital products within Innovation and R&D, managing cross-functional teams and collaboration to resolve complex trade-offs between business units, Group IT, and external partners, all aimed at delivering measurable outcomes.

As the primary liaison between Innovation and R&D stakeholders and Group IT, you will ensure clear communication, expectation setting, and priority alignment to guide technology initiatives. Drawing on deep industry expertise, you will address regulatory, operational, and innovation-related challenges while collaborating closely with leaders across technical research, product design, and lifecycle management to ensure IT solutions meet experimentation cycles and development timelines.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to Innovation and R&D leaders, steering digital transformation and growth initiatives
• Lead digital product strategy, development, and execution for core areas such as product lifecycle management and technical research & design
• Sponsor and steer digital products from concept through deployment and ongoing improvement, while simplifying legacy systems
• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of digital products, ensuring adoption, usability, and value creation
• Build and lead high-performing cross-functional product teams (including business and IT functions), embedding Agile practices and fostering innovation and accountability
• Serve as primary liaison between business stakeholders and IT, ensuring alignment of priorities, expectations, and timelines
• Drive adoption through training, feedback loops, and regional champions; monitor product performance using data-driven KPIs
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, security, and data integrity standards for systems handling sensitive research or IP
• Build digital and data literacy across teams, promote a culture of experimentation and continuous learning
• Advise CDIO and executive leaders on strategic technology decisions; translate complex digital initiatives into actionable insights

About you

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Chemistry, or a related field; advanced degree or certification in Technology, Information Systems, or Computer Science is a plus
• 10+ years of experience designing and executing digital strategies and solutions within Innovation and R&D, with several years in senior leadership roles
• Demonstrated success in leading digital transformations, aligning tech investment with strategic goals, and driving change in complex environments
• Proven experience in a product-based organization with deep knowledge of product lifecycle and innovation processes
• Strong track record of managing global, cross-functional teams spanning both business and IT functions
• Expertise in building scalable, Agile-driven digital ecosystems across international business environments
• Deep familiarity with the fragrance and flavor or related sectors, including regulatory and innovation-specific requirements
• Ability to leverage technology, data, and AI to solve domain-specific challenges such as research management and product development
• Strategic mindset paired with strong business acumen and operational execution
• Exceptional communication and influence skills with the ability to operate at senior executive levels
• Confident leader with strong problem-solving capabilities and a successful track record in global change management
• Fluency in English required; additional language skills are advantageous

Our offer

Become part of our open and transparent culture. It will give you the opportunity to flourish and to develop inspiring experiences that contribute to the health and well-being of consumers in 160 countries around the world. Putting our employees in the focus fuels our strong company growth above market rates and makes us an excellent place to develop your career.

Come join us and embark on a fascinating journey with Symrise.

If you feel that you fit the above criteria, then please apply by using our online application system. Your application will be treated confidentially.

LOCATION (COUNTRY)
Holzminden (Germany), Barcelona, Data & AI Hub (Spain), Clichy (France), Rennes (France), Singapore (Singapore), Teterboro, New Jersey (United States)

Land

Deutschland

Standort

Holzminden

Division

Corporate Functions

Funktionsbereich

Informationstechnologie & -dienstleistungen

Vertragsart

Mit Berufserfahrung

Ausschreibungsende

10-Sep.-2025

Recruiter

Michael Drozdek

About us

Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavors, cosmetic active ingredients as well as functional ingredients. Its customers include perfume, cosmetics, food and beverage manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of dietary supplements and pet food.

With sales of around €5.0 billion in the 2024 financial year, the company is one of the world's leading providers. The Group, headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, has more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, the USA and Latin America.

Together with its customers, Symrise develops new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked.

Symrise – always inspiring more...

Your role

Reporting to the Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), the Global Head of Digital Solutions will drive the development of a world-class, digitally enabled ecosystem that supports Symrise’s ambitious goals in Innovation and R&D. This role is pivotal in aligning with our dynamic business vision, building the right digital infrastructure to enable core business activities, and supporting the transition to a product-based operating model.

As a trusted advisor to the CDIO and executive stakeholders, you will help shape strategic decisions by delivering actionable insights that align technology, data, and AI with business needs. Leading a team of product owners, you will oversee high-stakes digital products within Innovation and R&D, managing cross-functional teams and collaboration to resolve complex trade-offs between business units, Group IT, and external partners, all aimed at delivering measurable outcomes.

As the primary liaison between Innovation and R&D stakeholders and Group IT, you will ensure clear communication, expectation setting, and priority alignment to guide technology initiatives. Drawing on deep industry expertise, you will address regulatory, operational, and innovation-related challenges while collaborating closely with leaders across technical research, product design, and lifecycle management to ensure IT solutions meet experimentation cycles and development timelines.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to Innovation and R&D leaders, steering digital transformation and growth initiatives
• Lead digital product strategy, development, and execution for core areas such as product lifecycle management and technical research & design
• Sponsor and steer digital products from concept through deployment and ongoing improvement, while simplifying legacy systems
• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of digital products, ensuring adoption, usability, and value creation
• Build and lead high-performing cross-functional product teams (including business and IT functions), embedding Agile practices and fostering innovation and accountability
• Serve as primary liaison between business stakeholders and IT, ensuring alignment of priorities, expectations, and timelines
• Drive adoption through training, feedback loops, and regional champions; monitor product performance using data-driven KPIs
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, security, and data integrity standards for systems handling sensitive research or IP
• Build digital and data literacy across teams, promote a culture of experimentation and continuous learning
• Advise CDIO and executive leaders on strategic technology decisions; translate complex digital initiatives into actionable insights

About you

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Chemistry, or a related field; advanced degree or certification in Technology, Information Systems, or Computer Science is a plus
• 10+ years of experience designing and executing digital strategies and solutions within Innovation and R&D, with several years in senior leadership roles
• Demonstrated success in leading digital transformations, aligning tech investment with strategic goals, and driving change in complex environments
• Proven experience in a product-based organization with deep knowledge of product lifecycle and innovation processes
• Strong track record of managing global, cross-functional teams spanning both business and IT functions
• Expertise in building scalable, Agile-driven digital ecosystems across international business environments
• Deep familiarity with the fragrance and flavor or related sectors, including regulatory and innovation-specific requirements
• Ability to leverage technology, data, and AI to solve domain-specific challenges such as research management and product development
• Strategic mindset paired with strong business acumen and operational execution
• Exceptional communication and influence skills with the ability to operate at senior executive levels
• Confident leader with strong problem-solving capabilities and a successful track record in global change management
• Fluency in English required; additional language skills are advantageous

Our offer

Become part of our open and transparent culture. It will give you the opportunity to flourish and to develop inspiring experiences that contribute to the health and well-being of consumers in 160 countries around the world. Putting our employees in the focus fuels our strong company growth above market rates and makes us an excellent place to develop your career.

Come join us and embark on a fascinating journey with Symrise.

If you feel that you fit the above criteria, then please apply by using our online application system. Your application will be treated confidentially.

LOCATION (COUNTRY)
Holzminden (Germany), Barcelona, Data & AI Hub (Spain), Clichy (France), Rennes (France), Singapore (Singapore), Teterboro, New Jersey (United States)