The Absolut Company, Pernod Ricard

Master Sensory Designer and Strategist with a billion dollar nose

The Absolut Company has the worldwide responsibility for the production, innovation and strategic marketing of Absolut Vodka, Malibu, Kahlúa and Our/Vodka.
 
Absolut Vodka is the Group’s biggest, and the world’s fifth largest spirits brand by volume. Every bottle of Absolut Vodka comes from one source, Åhus in southern Sweden, produced with the same continuous distillation as was introduced by its progressive founder LO Smith. Today it is Sweden’s single largest food export. Malibu is the number one rum-based coconut spirit in the world. Kahlúa coffee liqueur is the world leader in its category.
 
Since July 2008 The Absolut Company, previously V&S Vin & Sprit AB, is an affiliate within Pernod Ricard, the world’s #2 in wine and spirits. Its head office is located in Stockholm, Sweden. The company has 500 co-workers and sales in more than 150 markets. Chairman and CEO is Anna Malmhake.

Some job descriptions are more unique than others, and Per Hermansson has one of them. Also known as “The Billion Dollar Nose”, he has been The Absolut Company’s tastemaker and trendspotter in everything related to flavour and smell. Per is about to retire after more than 40 years in the industry, and now the search have begun for this very unique and creative role – Manager Sensory Designer and Strategist.

You’re a tastemaker and trendspotter.

You’ll use your documented blending skills, your understanding for aroma and taste and comprehension of texture in spirits to create advantage for our existing and future product portfolio. You’ll share and keep building your thorough knowledge of sensory related topics regarding spirits in general and vodka in particular.

You’re a leader and entrepreneur.

You will be The Absolut Company’s driver of sensory knowledge, ensuring that we are at the forefront of sensory trends. You have commercial and market understanding, ensuring proposals are rooted in business and market need. You’ll be an active part of brainstorming for new innovation ideas, transforming your insights into product innovation. You will generate wet goods ideas and lead tastings in relation to innovation projects.

You’re a storyteller and a star. 

You will represent, promote and educate around Absolut from a sensory perspective; be it in media, with trade partners or within Pernod Ricard and The Absolut Company. You will help building the communication around the product story for new launches.

You’re a doer and a team player.

You’ll collaborate with internal and external teams and stakeholders, be it R&D in Åhus or local market companies and sales teams. You can transform insights about consumer behaviors into action and business opportunities, and transform business intelligence into product evolution strategies and wet goods concepts.

The position is perhaps best explained in this short movie about Per Hermansson, the Absolut Company’s current Master Sensory Designer:

For more information please contact Magdalena Karlsson; magdalena.karlsson@headagent.se or Andrea Strand; andrea.strand@headagent.se