Director, Strategy

Director, Strategy & Health Category Excellence (W/M)

• Full-time
• Contract type: Permanent Contract

As a global key player in yeasts and fermentation, Lesaffre designs, manufactures and markets innovative solutions forBaking, Food taste & pleasure, Health care and Biotechnology.

Family group born in northern France in 1853, now a multi-national and a multicultural company, Lesaffre is committed toworking with confidence to better nourish and protect the planet.
In close collaboration with its clients and partners, Lesaffre employs11 700 peoplein more than50 countries.

Lesaffre achieves a turnover of 3,2 billion euros.

For over 30 years, Lesaffre has been involved in Human Health & Nutrition as part of its ambition to Better Nourish and Protect the Planet.In November 2018, Lesaffre acquired Gnosis Advanced Biotech and officially combined it with Lesaffre Human Care to form a new Business Unit named Gnosis by Lesaffre.

Gnosis by Lesaffre aims to raise the standard of human health and build a world where proactive health solutions empower people to live longer, happier lives.

By exploring the world of microorganisms, we tap into nature’s biological processes to develop solutions that address pressing health challenges while promoting positive impact on both human and planetary health.

Together with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical brands, we develop revolutionary products that help their customers thrive.

Our vision is a future where health is proactive, solutions are sustainable, and the timeless wisdom of nature guides every step forward.

Think like Nature to Raise human health.

As Director, Strategy & Health Category Excellence, you are the architect of the business unit's future. This role is not just about planning, it is about making strategy real: anticipating health category trends, driving timely strategic discussions with senior leaders inside and outside the BU, and being a key driver of change in how Gnosis competes and wins. You will:

• Shape Gnosis’ 3–10-year strategic vision, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and goals and industries or market opportunities.
• Bridge strategy and execution with cross-functional leaders (R&D, marketing, regulatory, operations and more), turning plans into measurable results.
• Define and implement a world-class health category excellence framework that improves customer experience and BU performance.

You join the extended leadership team and work closely with the Global Head of Strategy & Innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. BU Strategic Leadership and Execution Driver (~70%)

Vision & Roadmap:

• Develop and refine the short-term and long-term strategic plans, take the BU strategy through into the Lesaffre Group strategy ensuring they align with the company’s mission, values, and growth ambitions.
• In close collaboration with Corporate and BU Strategic Competitive Intelligence, Lesaffre Knowledge Center and Economic Intelligence, and Gnosis Product and Solutions teams and SOAs (Strategic Opportunity Areas) leaders, run deep-dive market, competitive, and industry analyses to ensure continuous differentiation as well as identify emerging opportunities, risks, and white spaces.
• Turn insights into actionable strategies, including BU portfolio optimization, and partner with M&A and BD team to fuel growth.

Decision-Making Frameworks:

• Design models, tools, and KPIs to evaluate business decisions (e.g., prioritization matrices, scenario planning, ROI), monitor strategy performance (e.g., market share, revenue growth, innovation success rates) and recommend course corrections.
• Develop mitigation strategies for external risks such as major regulatory changes, competitive threats.

Strategy in Motion – Execution:

• Oversee the transformation initiatives assigned by the Leadership Team, delivered on time, within budget and with measurable impact, and allocate resources and budgets to strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g. innovation, product and solutions, market insights, operational marketing, regulatory, scientific and medical affairs, operations, R&D) to ensure seamless execution of initiatives at global level and appropriate allocation of resources and budgets effectively to support strategic priorities.
• Design the strategy office to monitor health category performance and drive data-based continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Communicate the vision to BU and Group executive teams, securing buy-in and alignment, and advise the Global Head of Strategy & Innovation on critical decisions.
• Represent Gnosis in external forums (conferences, partnerships, investor meet