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JOB SUMMARY
The Sr. Marketing Innovation Manager is responsible for leading new product development and commercialization across the company's North American product portfolio. This includes diverse categories such as frozen pizza, salad dressings, pasta sauce, salsa, oil & vinegar, cookies, popcorn, lemonade, and dog treats. The Marketing Manager will drive innovation through strategic planning, consumer insights, cross-functional collaboration, and effective project management. This role requires developing and maintaining a 3-year innovation roadmap, testing and qualifying new product concepts, and implementing core innovation processes. In addition, the ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, hands-on, and a go-getter with the ability to pivot to where the business needs are. You are comfortable in ambiguity and can work in a self-advised environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Innovation Roadmap Development

• Develop and maintain a 5-year innovation roadmap for strategic growth categories
• Ensure alignment with cross-functional teams and senior leadership on the innovation strategy

Consumer Insights and Innovation Ideation

• Identify emerging consumer needs and insights, to deepen consumer knowledge across core NO categories (frozen pizza, cookies, dressings, pasta sauce, lemonade, and dog treats)
• Translate insights and trends into actionable product growth opportunities across the NOI portfolio
• Collaborate with Sales, R&D, Supply Chain, and external partners to vet and develop robust innovation ideas that win with target consumers

Product Concept Development and Testing

• Develop, test, and qualify new product concepts with consumers to support the innovation pipeline.

Innovation Process Implementation

• Leverage core innovation processes and procedures such as an innovation stage gate process and internal project management tools to document and steer projects

External Partnership and Trend Identification

• Partner with external strategic partners to identify trends and inputs for the innovation planning process

Agency Management and Packaging

• Manage relationships with packaging design and production agencies

Project & Budget Leadership

• Lead all innovation initiatives with cross-functional teams, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery
• Develop and manage the innovation budget

Marketing Planning and Trade Sell-In

• Participate in the annual marketing planning process
• Collaborate with Sales planning to develop trade sell-in materials for all innovations
• Proficient in leveraging syndicated databases to extract product, category, and competitive insights for informed assortment, pricing, and distribution decisions
• Share insights with the broader marketing team to inform overall marketing strategies and tactics

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• BA/BS and MBA degrees preferred
• Minimum of 5 – 7 years of experience in CPG brand management leading new product development
• Experience in CPG food is preferred; experience at small to mid-size companies is a plus
• Strategic thought leadership and new product development expertise
• Ability to balance long-term strategic priorities with short-term business needs
• Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently
• A change agent with the ability to embrace change and initiate new & improved ways of working
• Strong analytical and brand management skills, including consumer insight development and concept writing
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative consumer research
• Effective agency management skills
• Ability to work well collaboratively and independently
• Highly creative with a passion for food innovation
• Self-motivated, a self-starter with problem-solving and can-do attitude
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Project, PowerPoint, and Word

TRAVEL
This position may require overnight travel, and/or occasional local day travel as needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
This is a hybrid role, currently requiring regular work from our Westport, CT office, for up to 4 days a week, with minimal physical requirements.