Innovation Marketing Group Leader - Varilux

Company Overview:

For 170 years the Essilor Group has put its expertise at the service of good vision in designing, manufacturing and distributing ophthalmic lenses and equipment for eye care professionals. Today, as a new unified company, EssilorLuxottica provide solutions to correct and protect the visual health of the 7.7 billion people in the world.

We are the leader in our field, providing solutions seen by professionals and consumers as the reference in correction, protection and prevention for visual health. With strong brands such as Varilux®, Crizal®, Eyezen™, Transitions®, we are active across prescription glasses, sunglasses and reading glasses, and in ophthalmic optics equipment.

Mission:

We currently have an International Varilux Associate Director career opportunity at our Charenton (France) location within our Global Strategic Marketing Department (GMT).The job position is within the consumer brands team, reporting to the Varilux Marketing Director.

You will be in charge of supporting the growth of our iconic brand Varilux, through multiple channels and by leading various growth projets. More precisely you will be in charge of a team (~2 people to be defined according to project needs) developing innovations/activations for a specific presbyopic target.

Varilux innovations are strategic for the company and are a strong lever to push further sustainability, personalization, rationalization, multi-channel strategy and doctors relationship within the brand.

Beyond new Varilux innovations, the brand is aiming at adapting its brand model to be acknowledeged as the 40+ vision care leader shifting from PAL expert to being a disruptor of presbyopia solution category, being more empathetic to each category of presbyopes. To that intent, some projects have been identified such as access models, wearer relationship (CRM strategy and content), dispensing innovation roadmap. You will lead some of those topics and contribute to others.

Brand strategy:

· Marketing strategy definition to accelerate the brand/market growth through New Varilux innovations : product portfolio, marketing positioning, range mangement, pricing recommendation

· Distribution strategy, assessing the opportunity for new internal banners while building a strong offer for our historic brand partners and historic key accounts.

· Business strategies to further develop the brand footprint, increasing active distribution and share of mix within active, ensuring clear superiority against competition and good valorization from US & French managed vision care. Strengthen partnership with Essilor Experts and scale up the opportunity of personalization.

· Size opportunities and define relevant business models for new offers within Varilux brand

· Strong collaboration with the Category Strategy team to ensure the brand positioning is consistent with the EL portfolio

Product innovation:

· Strong collaboration with R&D to build engaging BtoB stories, also crafting meaningful and differentiated consumer benefits answering relevant insights.

· Collaborate with market consumer & research experts to co-design studies and test needed for innovation and to substantiate new claims. Validate new claims for New Varilux products and any other new Varilux offer.

· Work closely with Medical advisors to ensure evidence based dialogue with medical community, dissemination of forefront scientific and clinical knowledge, partnership with independant experts, presence at conferences

· Work closely with Instruments to innovate on the consumer journey as well, dispensing Varilux lenses

· Support and follow-up markets / business units launches worldwide while ensuring the consistency of defined strategy

· Sales and qualitative feedback monitoring to track performance and identify opportunities; reporting and presenting on data

Communication:

· 360° communication plan towards ECPs, prescribers and consumers to support and accelerate New Varilux launches : develop communication package providing content for all touchpoints including BtoB digital platforms, instore material, instore digital lens simulation, brand content for tradeshows, roadshows, medical congresses.

For consumers, develop or activate consumer campaigns in relationship with creative hub, social media teams and digital teams. Define the right communication strategy (SEO, Social Media, Analytics etc.) with expert teams

Education :

· Brief and monitor the development of all Varilux brand education content through close relationships with Vision care education Experts

Worlwide marketing community :

· Ensure interactions with local, regional and global marketing directions to ensure best practice sharing

· Contribute to the animation of WW marketing communities to ensure best understanding of global brand strategy, successful business strategies and go to market plans, effective roll out plans

Management :

· Participate in the recruitment process and ensure the integration of new employees. Develop, train and plan necessary trainings to achieve the objectives of the team

· Evaluate individual performances, conduct performance and development interviews as well as professional interviews, participate in the process of annual reviews of team members

· Encourage the team to ensure a good quality of work: ambiance, climate, regulation of the team (performances, priorities, strategic orientations, HSE risks...)

· Promote and guarantee Group principles and values

Requirements for the position:

The ability of the selected individual to bring a strategic vision, to have a strong impact and drive, to be results oriented, to build on market feedbacks and to federate a project team will be key to succeed in the mission.

· Master of business administration Degree/ Business school or double engineering and marketing degree.

· Solid experience (minimum 8 years) in Marketing, Sales or Business development is required. Excellent understanding of the full marketing mix.

· Optical knowledge is a big plus.

· Fluent in English (working language)

· Power Point & Excel skills

· Empathy towards different targets. Ability to build consumers approach as well as operational BtoB marketing actions

· Ability to collaborate efficiently in an international environment with a wide variety of partners upstream and downstream (sales and marketing (region/ networks/countries), logistics, projects, R&D, communication agencies, Quality, legal, IP

· Capacity to Convince/ influence / federate and take decisions

· Very good analytical skills, data driven thinking and capacity to build a synthesis

· Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills