Job Title: Head of Evaluation Intelligence (Sub-Saharan Africa) 

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa 

Reports to: R & I Director (SSA) & Global Head of Evaluation Intelligence 

Mission: Your mission is to lead the Evaluation Intelligence (EI) function within the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Research & Innovation (R&I) Hub. You will oversee the consolidation of Evaluation Intelligence data to create locally relevant consumer experience and product intelligence - leading a team that conducts consumer, cognitive sensory, clinical, instrumental evaluations. There is a strategic focus on African consumers centricity and relevancy, and competitiveness to support new innovations, launches and beauty experiences. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Strategic Vision & Roadmap 

• Define local EI SSA roadmap in alignment with the Global Evaluation Intelligence and local R&I SSA roadmaps to create locally relevant consumer experience and product intelligence 
• Share the vision and translates it into effective goals for the team as well as budget management, tracking and prioritization for the function 
• Identifies and drives emerging technologies (e.g. AI, digital tools, new methods and tools) based upon industry & technology advances as well as project needs that can automate or enhance evaluations.  

2. Data Governance & Analytics 

• Supervise the architecture and quality of evaluation databases (e.g. clinical trials, instrumental tests, consumer panels, expert evaluations). 
• Drive the "data decision driven" strategy 

3. Knowledge Management & Synthesis 

• Deliver compelling presentations and strategic updates to Senior leadership, including recommendations and insights to support business decision making 
• Transform complex evaluation and scientific results into clear, "business-ready" narratives for local and global Labs, Brand Directors and Marketing teams. 
• Drive the creation of automated dashboards and visualization tools (e.g., PowerBI dashboards) to track product experience KPIs and research results. 
• Ensure the capitalization of knowledge to avoid redundant testing and accelerate Time-to-Market. 
• Apply expertise to all projects to ensure relevancy of test design, target, method, timings, costs based upon business objective.  
• Challenges the analyses of test results to ensure robust, thorough & insightful conclusions  

4. Leadership & Ecosystem Management

• Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of 10+ people (Consumer Science, Cognitive Sensory Experts, Clinical & Physics Science, Category Leaders, digital) 
• Supervise team recruitment, skills development and management; ensure the development of know-how and expertise and contribute to organizational growth  
• Drive external partnerships with research agencies, startups, universities, and CROs (Clinical Research Organizations)  
• Collaborate and align with EI counterparts in all L’Oréal R&I Hubs around the world to develop and implement best practices and collaborate with various cross-functional stakeholders (e.g. Finance, HR, Regulatory, Digital & Data, IT)  

5. Consumer-Centricity & Ethics 

• Embodies & drives the consumer voice and ensure compliance with safety regulations and quality procedures (regulatory, operating procedures, etc.) 
• Ensure all data intelligence practices comply with global GDPR and ethical standards regarding consumer testing. 
• Integrate "Social Listening" and external consumer reviews into the internal evaluation intelligence framework  

Education & Experience: 

• Education: Master’s or PhD in Marketing, Sociology, Psychology, Data Science, Statistics, Bio-statistics, or a related Scientific field (Biology/Chemistry) with a strong data tilt. 
• Experience: 10–15 years of experience in R&D/R&I, ideally within the Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical, or FMCG industries. 
• Management: Proven track record of leading expert teams and managing complex, cross-functional projects in a global matrix organization. 

Technical Skills: 

• Deep understanding of Scientific Evaluation methods (e.g. clinical trials, sensory analysis). 
• Expertise in Data Analysis and the ability to simplify complex data for non-experts. 

Soft Skills: 

• Strategic Intuition: Ability to see the "big picture" and anticipate the future of beauty. 
• Scientific Rigor: A commitment to the truth of the data and the safety of the consumer. 
• Communication: Storytelling skills to influence senior leadership and brand partners. 
• Agility: Comfortable in a fast-paced environment where "Test & Learn" is the mantra.