Head of AI & Digital - Nestlé R&D Deep Tech Center

Defining and leading the AI & digital strategy across R&D;, translating emerging technologies into clear priorities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes, ensuring strong governance and alignment across the organization. Owning and driving a high-impact strategic portfolio with an end-to-end mindset, delivering tangible value across innovation, manufacturing and consumer-facing applications. Driving execution of high-impact projects, accelerating the transition from concept to deployment and embedding AI, digital solutions & analytics capabilities into core R&D; processes. Building and activating a strong global ecosystem of leading tech companies, startups, academic partners and external experts, leveraging your established network to push the boundaries of digital & data-driven innovation. Leading and empowering a high-performing, multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, ownership and continuous skills development.

As Head of AI & Digital Innovation at the Nestlé Deep Tech Center, you will shape and lead Nestlé’s digital and AI strategy across R&D; at global scale. You will operate in a unique Deep Tech environment, with access to state-of-the-art labs, pilot plants, automated kitchens and rapid prototyping capabilities across our global hubs in Switzerland and China. In our Deep Tech Center, we enable advances in manufacturing, consumer experiences and research by leveraging robotics, sensors, AI, machine learning and digital twins—translating breakthrough engineering technologies into scalable, real-world solutions. At Nestlé Deep Tech Center, we place people at the core of everything we do.

• Proven leadership experience in AI, digital innovation or transformation, with a track record of delivering large-scale business impact

• Strong technical credibility in AI / machine learning, process modelling & simulation or computational science, combined with the ability to connect technology to R&D; and business outcomes

• Demonstrated ability to define strategy and lead execution end-to-end, with full ownership of high-impact initiatives

• Strong business acumen, translating technology and data investments into measurable value creation (growth and efficiency)

• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging senior leadership in complex, matrixed organizations

• Experience in building and leading high-performing teams and capabilities at scale

• A well-established external network across AI, digital innovation, startups, technology partners and academia, with the ability to identify and engage the right ecosystem to accelerate innovation and business impact