Brand Manager, Innovation

Description

This role is responsible for driving profitable growth and launching aggressive innovation platforms in current and new categories. The successful candidate will create a dynamic innovation discipline to authentically connect with consumers and customers to create relevancy across the Krusteaz new product portfolio. In addition, this role will help substantiate Krusteaz's role as category leader within respective segments by launching insight-driven, on-trend products to both consumers and customers. The successful candidate will identify opportunities and translate them to attractive financial and brand-equity building propositions for the Company.

Essential Functions: Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.

• Champion of innovation ideas and product platforms that enable delivery of the strategic growth plans of the Krusteaz Company.
• Create a strong entrepreneurship environment by building new businesses that will scale and support company growth.
• Accelerate growth through consumer insights, instinct, exploring consumer unmet needs, competitive and market analyses and deep understanding of emerging trends.
• Lead business case development and partner in building financial models to ensure alignment with company innovation hurdles and ROI goals are exceeded.
• Develop go-to-market strategies that include scale up and growth planning to ensure volume growth and profit objectives are met. Recommend A&C, trade plans, distribution assumptions and goals in partnership with Brand & Sales
• Influence and assess innovation funnel and pipeline health
• Partner with consumer insights to manage all consumer-based market research activities. Recommend and coordinate use of agency and innovation partners as needed.
• Inspire and lead cross-functional teams; work closely with other departments to ensure project success
• Build, shape & deliver complex new platform propositions; characterized by expanding existing or establishing new organizational capabilities. Partner with respective functional experts.
• Utilize PDP process to ready platforms for commercialization and launch. Acts as the business lead in the development process of major Krusteaz Company innovation projects.

Position Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals qualified with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work with Vice President and the innovation team to identify and create a vision for the future and lead planning and implementation efforts to get there. Ability to enroll others in this innovation vision.
• Inspire team and CM to pursue change and growth opportunities; effective at building and sharing the innovation "story".
• Ability to connect the dots to see a unique and breakthrough idea to disrupt our category and our industry. Possess a strong sense of curiosity and passion for being a change agent.
• Assume the role of a business leader, contribute to both technical and broader business discussions.
• Ability to connect through positive and respectful interactions to inspire greater success across our Company in line with our vision and philosophies.
• Strong project management, organizational, communication and interpersonal skills - influencing, resolving conflict, and creative problem-solving skills. Ability to develop strong working relationships both internally and externally.
• Adaptable, flexible and agile, with the ability to handle a changing environment and priorities. Proven leadership, communication, analytical and management skills required.
• Create an environment that encourages and rewards teamwork and collaboration, both internally and externally.
• Systematic, fact-based problem solver; implement solutions to solve root cause problems.
• Current knowledge of the Food Industry; suppliers, customers, and service providers.
• Working knowledge of product development, process development, regulatory requirements, and project management.
• Strong ability to influence and persuade executive level leadership and communicate technical concepts and ideas to all levels of the organization in a clear and understandable manner.
• Strong written, oral and facilitation skills
• Excellent listener. Empathetic to individual concerns and directs necessary follow-up actions
• Ability to travel as business needs require; minimally 10% of the time

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Administration or similar fields required; MBA in Marketing or related field strongly preferred
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant Marketing and/or innovation experience. Experience in the CPG industry strongly preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone along with reaching. Specific vision abilities include close vision requirements due to computer work. Moderate noise, ability to work in a confined area, and ability to sit at a computer for an extended period of time are also included.

The policy of The Krusteaz Company is to hire, train, and promote all persons in all job groups in accordance with law, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital or military status, national origin, gender identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, genetic information, or any other status or characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law.

Get to know us:

• A people-focused company that cares​: We're a 90-year-old company with the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup and a focused eye on the future. As a midsized, privately-held company with a portfolio of beloved food and beverage brands, our people are the most important ingredient in our success.
• A valued and supported workforce​: We place tremendous value in our employees and provide competitive pay and comprehensive benefits to ensure our employees can create the best life for themselves. Benefits include a top tier health insurance plan with lower than average employee cost share, generous PTO, 401(k) match, and more.
• An engaged and energized culture​: At The Krusteaz Company, collaboration and ingenuity drive our fierce commitment to creating extraordinary product experiences that people love.
• A place to grow and make a difference: An entrepreneurial spirit has been at the core of our company since the beginning, attracting self-starters who are curious and love to learn and to share ideas.

Hybrid Work Model: At The Krusteaz Company, we have in-office "core days" of Tuesdays and Wednesdays where all corporate employees are expected to be onsite. Monday, Thursdays, and Fridays are flexible remote days to allow for work/life balance. You may be asked to come in outside of a core day from time to time, based on business needs. We have found aligning our scheduled in-office days provides opportunity for employees to build connections and collaborate together.

Benefits: We are proud to offer generous benefits including comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance (starting at $45/month for employee only coverage), 401(K) matching, 3 weeks of paid vacation, 10 paid holidays, company provided life insurance and disability insurance, flexible spending account and tuition reimbursement.

Salary Information:

• An employee in this position can expect a salary range between $109,570 and $180,783. We typically pay between $112,000 and $143,000. The actual salary offered will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including internal equity, experience, education, certification, training, and location. All positions are eligible for additional incentives based on business performance.

We hope you'll take the time to get to know us!