Manager Project Management Office – Global Fragrance Innovation (m/f/d)

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 €4.9 billion in the 2025 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

The Manager PMO – Global Innovation (m/f/d) is responsible for establishing and driving a best-in-class project and portfolio management framework across the Global Innovation organization. The role is to manage the end-to-end global innovation portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities such as fragrance creation, ingredient innovation, AI/digital and sustainability.

This requisition is a fulltime position to be located at our global Headquarters in Holzminden, Germany.

• Managing PMO Processes: Oversee all PMO processes related to Global Fragrance Innovation, including idea management, project proposal processes, execution, roll-out, and project review.
• Review and Update Meetings: Ensure the organization and facilitation of regular review and update meetings to assess project progress.
• Documentation and Data Management: Guarantee accurate project documentation, proper archiving, and correct data entries in the project management system.
• Project Leader Training: Ensure the guidance and training of project leaders in accordance with PM Fundamentals, ensuring consistency and adherence to project management best practices.
• Process Optimization: Drive continuous improvement and optimization of the project management process within Global Fragrance Division
• Tool and Software Introduction: Lead the introduction and implementation of new project management tools and software to enhance operational efficiency.
• Strategic Project Update Meetings: Organize and manage strategic project update meetings, ensuring proper documentation and data storage.
• Project Progress Decisions: Implement and track project progress decisions in the ServiceNow system.
• Reporting: Regularly report on project status, based on the data and metrics from ServiceNow.
• Project Volume Management: Ensure the project leader’s limits and total project budget limits are adhered to.
• Project Controlling: Support project controlling activities, including project statistics and the use of project prioritization tools.
• Proposal Guidance: Provide guidance to project requestors on the initiation and processing of project proposals.

About you

• You successfully completed your studies in Project Management, Business Administration, or equivalent commercial education.
• Alternatively, a technical background such as laboratory chemist, scientist with strong organizational skills.
• Experience in project and portfolio or innovation management or PMO roles.
• Experience in R&D-driven environments such as fragrance, chemicals, biotech, FMCG, or similar.
• Experience with innovation governance models.
• Experience with Portfolio management and prioritization as well as project management methodologies such as Stage-Gate, hybrid models.
• Data-driven performance management and the ability to translate strategy into executable roadmaps.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and excellent stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
• Business fluent in both written and spoken English, other languages such as French or German are a plus.

Our offer

• Open and respectful corporate culture with flat hierarchies and the possibility to work on innovative projects in a team-oriented and international work environment
• Flexible work arrangements, associated day-care facilities for children and further offers to support work-life-balance
• Individual training and international career opportunities
• Attractive compensation package and profit sharing, 30 vacation days per year, holiday pay and Christmas bonus for tariff employees
• Company pension scheme, lifetime working time accounts, canteen as well as other social and complementary benefits

Join us today!

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

Job Reference: EA04781