International Director, Unilever Prestige

The deadline for applying is 23: 59 the day before the job posting end date. 

Job Title: International Director, Unilever Prestige

Business Function: Unilever Prestige

Location: 100VE

Work Level: WL3X

  
JOB PURPOSE  

The International Director, as an integral member of the Unilever Prestige International organisation, provides critical leadership in the areas of strategic governance and commercial acceleration across a diverse portfolio of rapidly growing premium beauty brands. This position is accountable for proactively identifying new growth opportunities across brands, markets, channels, and business models and working with the companies on their international scaling.

This is a high influence leadership role that requires close collaboration with multiple stakeholders across the portfolio team and the regional leads of the portfolio brands.

The International Director will partner with brand CEOs, commercial leads, and regional hubs to scale prestige brands globally, drive commercial excellence, and unlock new opportunities across markets and channels.

RESPONSIBILITIES  

1. International Strategy & New Growth Opportunities

• Targets setting accountability for international and revenue growth by brand
• Own the Prestige portfolio international growth strategy – where to play (e.g. prioritise markets/cells) and how to win in each (entry model, shared capabilities, investment requirements etc.)
• Identify strategic growth opportunities in International (across brands, markets, channels, and business models ) and shape commercial investment decisions for growth.
• Drive insights‑led analysis for new market entry and expansion
• Define recommendations on route‑to‑market models (direct, distributor, hybrid, retail partnership).
• Support cross-brand commercial strategy development with competitive, category, and channel insights.
• Assess and shape the commercial feasibility of new or emerging retail models.

2. International Market Development Support

• Support the Europe Acceleration Plan by advising on brand readiness, market sequencing, and scalable models.
• Partner with regional leadership to accelerate selective brands in Asia (incl China)  

3. Drive Commercial  Strategy & Excellence

• Define the long-term channel strategy for the Prestige portfolio
• Define the required capabilities and scale needed for an effective Prestige distributor network. Support the development of a Prestige distributor excellence model and benchmarking tools.
• Drive capability building for Sales teams in the companies

4. Cross-Portfolio Synergy, Efficiency & Capability Building

• Partner with CEOs, Sales Leaders, and International Hubs to Identify synergies & co-create scalable portfolio solutions (e.g. warehouse EU, sales force)  
• Build cross-portfolio tools, frameworks, and excellence standards to elevate execution globally.

5. International Community Leadership

• Lead the International community for the portfolio, ensuring cross-brand learning, best practice sharing, and capability building.
• Serve as a resource to brand commercial teams, supporting escalation management and strategic development.

6. Portfolio Governance & Strategic Market Stewardship

• Provide leadership and strengthen international governance across the Prestige portfolio, ensuring discipline in performance management, growth planning, and alignment with strategic roadmaps.

• Monitor market performance and trends across regions, identifying proactive interventions for optimisation.
• Oversight of international competitor landscape analysis and translation into growth strategies.
• Ownership of pricing, assortment, and retail model benchmarking across markets.
• Input into regional brand plans, ensuring scalable and sustainable international strategies.

ALL ABOUT YOU  

• 10+ years in business development roles within beauty or premium consumer goods.
• Experience across European, UK & APAC markets.
• Strong experience working in matrixed, multi-brand or portfolio environments.

• Experience in premium, high-growth, founder-led, or entrepreneurial categories.
• Strong ability to influence senior leaders without direct line responsibility.
• Deep understanding of the beauty industry across categories (i.e., skincare, haircare, makeup) and connection with premium products.  

NOTES 

Please apply via this portal as e-mail applications may not be processed and include your Future Fit Plan if possible.  

By applying for this vacancy, you are confirming that you have made your Line Manager aware of your application and that you are at a point in your career with Unilever where it is appropriate for you to be applying for other positions.    

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact your Talent Partner Anisha Kanani.

WHAT WE OFFER

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.  

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (unilever.com). 

LOCATION

In June 2020 we announced our plan to consolidate a number of Unilever’s offices across the South East of England into a new Unilever campus in Kingston-upon-Thames in or around early 2025. However, on the 08 August 2024 we announced to our existing staff our proposal to retain our central Head Office in London, 100 Victoria Embankment (“100VE”) until our lease expires in 2027. As a result of this new proposal, we will be consulting with our existing staff, and new joiners who join during this period of consultation at 100VE, on the proposal made in August 2024. During consultation we will clarify the future location of each team and function. This means your role will either be based in 100VE until 2027 or in Kingston-Upon-Thames from early 2025. As we are yet to commence consultation on the proposal you agree, until such a time when consultation has concluded, your normal place of work as set out in the enclosed Statement of Terms & Conditions will be 100VE. You agree that on the conclusion of the consultation your place of work will be 100VE or 100VE until early 2025 and then Kingston-upon-Thames ("the locations") and you will be notified of which of the locations will be your place of work after that consultation ends. 

RELOCATION TO THE UK

Please be aware if you are applying for this role from outside the UK, if successful, your application will be treated as a self-initiated Change Location Outside of Country (CLOC) transfer. This means any relocation costs must be self-funded with the potential to reclaim some specific pre-approved expenses up to £5,000. Please speak to your Talent Partner if you have any questions.