Material & Innovation Manager

Company Description
At IKEA, we do things a little different. We think, differently. Act, differently. And work differently as well. We like to break things. Like rules. And then make things. Like music-playing lamps. And beds disguised as sofas. Even plant balls that help us look after our planet. It’s all part of our vision - to create a better everyday life for the many. By 2030, we hope to help millions more look forward to going home.
In Purchasing Development, the assignment goes hand and hand with the IKEA Business idea as we are responsible to produce the ‘wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them’. ​Affordability, accessibility, sustainability and quality are our main priorities.​ We develop and execute sourcing strategies and thus meet the Supply markets/industries in 6 different categories. We are a true global organization with around 1000 co-workers placed in 27 different locations, close to the suppliers and the market.

We are looking for our new Material & Innovation Manager (Metal) that will report to Magnus Benon, Material & Engineering Manager of Purchasing Development
We have five large material areas in Material Innovation of which Metal is a key one. The material area is covering the full scope of Metal – the main metal materials Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Aluminium as well as all other related metals like copper, zamak etc.
Are you ready to lead the way in making a difference for IKEA and the world? We are constantly striving to create a Better IKEA and a Better everyday life for the many people. We are now looking for you who has high energy and drive to deliver better products for the many people. The future is in the innovation!
Job Description
As a Material & Innovation Manager (MIM) you will be leading the innovation agenda of Metal across all businesses from creation to a new solution. You will also be responsible for the Material Direction for metal, working closely with the Category Area and your MIM colleagues to meet the Paris agreement and reduce the climate footprint by 50% compared to 2016.
As MIM for Metal you will have the responsibility to lead and develop Material Direction for metal cross IKEA and to ensure the connected innovation projects are ready to be deployed together with Range and Development & Innovation. The innovation portfolio should secure that any gap versus our -50% footprint reduction is closed by 2030.
You will lead a team of highly motivated and skilled co-workers to drive change across the value chain.
More specifically, your role will include to:
Create, lead, develop and execute the Material Direction for metal across all IKEA businesses.
Create, lead and prioritize the Metal Innovation portfolio in alignment with all relevant Home Furnishing Businesses, Categories as well as with the Development & Innovation Network (DIN) and Development & Innovation in Range.
Identify and Build networks of potential innovation partners.
Act as a spokesperson for Metal in IKEA.
Secure knowledge transfer and capability sharing with relevant stakeholders within IKEA.
Responsible for driving Leadership and Competence agenda within the team of strong competences.
Act as an ambassador and role model for IKEA culture and Values.



Qualifications
Are you our new Material & Innovation Manager? We are looking for a creative business-person who has a passion for making things happened and can lead and maneuver in a complex and rapidly changing environment and be a strong leader with the ability to lead, inspire and motivate others through our IKEA culture & values.


To be successful in this assignment, we wish that you:
Are creative with a curious personality and you are driven for exploration and innovation processes
Can think out of the box, connect ideas from different fields together with an analytic and structured approach
Have certain knowledge of and passion for Metal business, technology, and innovation development on operational and strategic level
Are passionate about home furnishing, being interested in customer needs, design, style, and trends
Are aware of overall IKEA Value chain and have a strong passion for creating new business opportunities and continuous improvement
Have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with all levels of both internal stakeholders and external partners
Have a proven track record of strong leadership developing business and people.
Capability to lead with clear and inspiring communication.

Additional information


Please note, the position is based in Älmhult, Sweden and requires travel both domestic & international.

If you have any question regarding the recruitment process and/or the position you are welcome to contact the Material & Engineering Manager Magnus Benon at magnus.benon@inter.ikea.com or People & Culture Leader, Qiguo Fang, at wallace.fang@inter.ikea.com . If you have questions about the recruitment process, please contact People and Culture Specialist Olivia Swärd at Olivia.sward@inter.ikea.com.
Do you want to join us? We look forward to receiving your application in English. Last day for applying is June 13, 2024.
We are looking forward receiving your application!