Sr. Innovation Manager

Role Summary

Sr. Innovation Manager will be responsible for developing new innovation platforms, product ideas and claims, and for driving cross-functional teams in the delivery of new products to launch readiness stage. The ideal candidate will have several years of innovation experience, a demonstrated ability to independently build a multi-year pipeline by identifying, validating and leading development of new ideas, and the capability to manage multiple projects and cross-functional teams with speed, professionalism and creative-problem solving. This role is based in Warren, NJ and requires in-office presence three days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead innovation platform identification and project delivery for a leading brand
• Execute on time in full several projects as part of a robust 3-year pipeline
• Build and validate strong consumer-driven propositions, business cases, concepts, pricing, packaging direction and launch support scenarios
• Project management to lead cross-functional teams and deliver on time in full; lead projects and teams through stage gates
• Represent pipelines and projects in governance meetings, retailer engagements, etc
• During development, effectively transfer to marketing partners for commercialization and launch
• Collaborate with key partners (Brand, Insights, R&D, Sales Strategy, Finance, etc)
• Liaise and have experience interacting with third party business partners (including at a senior level) to collaborate on innovation pipelines and work through accelerated timelines
• External focus, aware of trends, ingredients, culture beyond your job spec
• Consumer obsessed and a fascination with the products and category we sell in — formulations, science, look, and feel with a commitment to deliver superiority
• Strong financial acumen. Ability to build strong business cases, forecasts, and manage budgets

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree
• Required: Minimum 5 years of dedicated innovation experience
• Required: At least 4 years of combined experience across marketing, consumer insights, and innovation
• Required: Proven track record in P&L and budget management
• Required: Demonstrated success in building and delivering a long-term innovation pipeline
• Required: Strong ability to uncover and apply actionable consumer insights
• Required: Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Required: Experience leading cross-functional teams within a matrixed organization
• Required: Familiarity with U.S. category dynamics and market landscape
• Required: Experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
• Preferred: MBA
• Preferred: Proven delivery of flawless launches
• Preferred: Demonstrated analytical ability to understand and report data to drive business decisions
• Preferred: Project Management Experience
• Preferred: Commercialization Experience (New Item Launch Experience)
• Preferred: Experience using AI as an Innovation Tool