R&D Governance and Portfolio Manager

The R&D Governance & Portfolio Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining a robust governance framework that enables efficient, transparent, and disciplined management of the company's R&D portfolio. This role ensures that innovation investments are aligned with corporate strategy, business priorities, and organizational capabilities while driving consistency across R&D processes, decision-making, project execution, and performance measurement.The incumbent serves as the operational backbone of the R&D organization by implementinggovernance policies, portfolio management methodologies, Stage-Gate processes, projectmanagement standards, knowledge management systems, and performance reporting.Working closely with the Head of R&D and cross-functional stakeholders, the role ensures thatresources are allocated effectively, risks are proactively managed, and innovation initiativesdeliver measurable business value.Reporting RelationshipDirect Reports

• Portfolio & Project Development Manager (PMO)
• Proprietary & Knowledge Management Manager
• R&D Governance Manager
• Digital Transformation ManagerRole PurposeTo build and institutionalize an integrated R&D governance and portfolio management system thatenhances strategic decision-making, improves project execution, optimizes resource utilization,and ensures innovation investments deliver sustainable business growth.This role transforms R&D from a collection of projects into a strategically governed innovationportfolio with clear priorities, accountability, and measurable outcomes.Key Responsibilities1. R&D Governance FrameworkEstablish and continuously improve governance policies, operating models, and managementsystems across the R&D organization.Responsibilities
• Develop the R&D Governance Framework.
• Establish governance policies, standards, and operating procedures.
• Standardize R&D business processes.
• Develop organizational governance structures.
• Ensure governance consistency across all R&D functions.
• Facilitate governance review meetings.
• Conduct governance maturity assessments.
• Promote continuous improvement across governance practices.2. Innovation Portfolio ManagementManage the company's innovation portfolio to maximize strategic value and optimize investmentdecisions.Responsibilities
• Develop portfolio management methodology.
• Maintain the enterprise innovation portfolio.
• Prioritize projects based on strategic alignment and business value.
• Evaluate portfolio balance across incremental, adjacent, and breakthrough innovation.
• Monitor portfolio health and capacity.
• Recommend project acceleration, reprioritization, or termination.
• Support annual innovation planning.
• Conduct portfolio scenario analysis.3. Stage-Gate Process ManagementImplement and govern a standardized Stage-Gate process for all innovation and technologyprojects.Responsibilities
• Design the company's Stage-Gate methodology.
• Define gate criteria and approval requirements.
• Facilitate Gate Review meetings.
• Monitor gate compliance.
• Ensure project readiness before advancing to the next stage.
• Maintain project governance documentation.
• Improve Stage-Gate efficiency and effectiveness.4. Project Management Office (PMO)Develop a structured Project Management Office to improve project execution.Responsibilities
• Establish PMO standards.
• Develop project governance templates.
• Monitor project timelines and milestones.
• Track project budgets and resource utilization.
• Support project managers.
• Manage project reporting.
• Coordinate cross-functional project reviews.
• Improve project execution capability.5. Strategic Planning & Business AlignmentEnsure R&D activities remain aligned with corporate strategy.Responsibilities
• Translate corporate strategy into R&D priorities.
• Support annual strategic planning.
• Develop R&D operating plans.
• Align portfolio investments with business objectives.
• Monitor strategic execution.6. Performance Management & KPI GovernanceDevelop a comprehensive performance management system for the R&D organization.Responsibilities
• Design R&D KPIs.
• Develop executive dashboards.
• Monitor R&D organizational performance.
• Analyze portfolio performance trends.
• Conduct performance reviews.
• Recommend corrective actions.
• Benchmark R&D performance against industry best practices.7. Resource & Capacity ManagementOptimize utilization of people, budgets, laboratories, and technical capabilities.Responsibilities
• Develop resource planning methodologies.
• Monitor project workload.
• Support workforce planning.
• Identify resource constraints.
• Optimize project allocation.
• Improve R&D organizational productivity.
• Support annual budgeting.8. Risk Management & Decision SupportStrengthen governance through structured risk management.Responsibilities
• Develop R&D risk management processes.
• Maintain project risk registers.
• Facilitate risk assessments.
• Monitor mitigation actions.
• Support executive decision-making with portfolio analytics.
• Escalate critical risks.9. Knowledge Management & Organizational LearningCapture and leverage organizational knowledge to improve innovation capability.Responsibilities
• Develop R&D knowledge management systems.
• Establish document control standards.
• Maintain technical knowledge repositories.
• Capture lessons learned.
• Promote best-practice sharing.
• Improve organizational learning capability.10. Digital Governance & Process ImprovementSupport digital transformation of R&D management.Responsibilities
• Implement Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tools.
• Support Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) implementation.
• Develop digital dashboards.
• Improve workflow automation.
• Promote data-driven decision-making.
• Identify opportunities for AI-enabled portfolio analytics.11. Cross-functional CollaborationAct as the governance interface between R&D and business functions.Responsibilities
• Coordinate portfolio review meetings.
• Facilitate executive governance forums.
• Support Commercial and Marketing planning.
• Collaborate with Finance on investment evaluation.
• Align Manufacturing readiness with project timelines.
• Support Procurement in innovation sourcing activities.12. Continuous Improvement & Organizational ExcellenceQualifications & ExperienceEducation
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, ProjectManagement, or a related discipline.
• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Innovation Management, EngineeringManagement, or Project Management is preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalentcertifications are advantageous.Professional Experience
• 12–15 years of experience in R&D, Innovation Management, PMO, Strategy, or PortfolioManagement within the FMCG, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, or related industries.
• Minimum 10 years leading cross-functional strategic projects.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Stage-Gate or similar innovation governancesystems.
• Proven experience in project portfolio management and executive reporting.
• Experience in ASEAN or international business environments is desirable.
• Strong understanding of innovation lifecycle management and organizational governance.