Senior Innovation Strategist - Front End Innovation

The Nestlé Product Technology Centre Coffee (NPTC Coffee) is the leading R&D organization that discovers, develops and deploys coffee and beverage products and technologies for in-home and out-of-home consumption. It consists of units in Konolfingen (CH), Marysville (USA), Orbe (CH) and Singapore and provides new products and processes to all Nestlé markets worldwide.

Our mission – to delight the consumer wherever, whenever, however by delivering moments of genuine pleasure and indulgence - drives the need for us to attract, select and develop the right people for the right jobs throughout the value chain of our business.

Position Snapshot

Location: Orbe, Switzerland  

Company: Nestlé Product Technology Centre Coffee 

Act. Rate: Full-Time Act. Rate 100% 

Type of contract: Permanent contract 

Start date: As soon as possible

Deadline for applications: 02.03.2026

Position Summary 

As a Senior Front-End Innovation Strategist (Products & Systems), you will drive early-stage innovation across both coffee products and coffee systems, including capsules, beverages, machines and connected experiences. You will combine consumer understanding, system-view thinking and cross-functional collaboration to identify unmet needs and articulate strategic directions that shape the future of the category.

A Day in the Life of a Senior FEI Innovation Strategist (Products & Systems)

• Lead the discovery of consumer tensions, behaviors and evolving rituals across both beverage consumption and machine-user interaction journeys.


• Translate business, category and consumer insights into opportunity areas.


• Synthesize insights, trends and technology enablers into tangible innovation territories spanning product, system and experience.


• Facilitate high impact ideation workshops bringing together designers, engineers, marketers, system architects and researchers.


• Partner closely with system teams (Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto) to explore future brewing technologies, machine features, packaging formats and end to end experiences.


• Shape and write early concepts—from beverage ideas to machine/service features—using compelling narratives and prototypes.


• Work with consumer insights to validate desirability, usability, feasibility and value perception of holistic system concepts.


• Guide early product & system prototyping with design, R&D and technical specialists.


• Build strategic cross brand roadmaps, aligning commercial opportunities with science & technology capabilities.

What will make you successful

• Confirmed experience in innovation strategy, consumer insights, UX, product development or cross-functional CPG programs and experience working with designers, engineers and technical experts


• Demonstrated exposure to product + system innovation, ideally in appliances, consumer electronics, IoT products, packaging systems or similar fields.


• Innovation methodology mastery (Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, Value Proposition Design).


• Strong workshop facilitation, storytelling and prototyping capabilities.


• Ability to integrate consumer insights, business strategy and technology feasibility into cohesive concepts.


• Strong project leadership skills without direct authority.


• Excellent communication skills across seniority levels.


• Experience in Home appliances category is a plus.


• Fluent in English; French is an asset.

Nestlé is committed to the accessibility of its recruitment process. If you require an adaptation during the recruitment process, please do let us know so we can support you effectively. All information will be treated confidentially.

At Nestlé, we want to help shape a better and healthier world, inspire people to live healthier lives and deliver impact at a scale and pace that makes a difference. We do this by fostering a diverse, friendly, supportive, and collaborative environment, that creates positive disruption, embraces innovation, and empowers people and teams to win. We aim to hire friendly, respectful, inspiring people who care about the people’s lives that we touch every single day.

Be a force for good. Join Nestlé and visit us on www.nestle.com.

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