Innovation Senior Brand Manager

Industry 1: Consumer Goods

Industry 2: Food & Beverages

Industry 3: Retail

Job ID: 34825455478

Category: Sales and Marketing

Location: Oak Brook, IL

Senior Brand Manager, Disruptive Innovation

Join a powerhouse team dedicated to reshaping the future of food through disruptive innovation. This high-impact role leads a strategic innovation platform and one direct report, driving a multi-year roadmap to unlock new opportunities and accelerate growth in foodservice and retail. Reporting to the Innovation Director, the Senior Brand Manager will spearhead end-to-end commercialization of breakthrough innovations that challenge industry norms and redefine market standards.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and execute a disruptive innovation strategy grounded in consumer insights, emerging trends, and long-term business objectives.
• Build and manage a three-year innovation pipeline, focusing on new product concepts, new consumption occasions, and transformative food solutions.
• Drive bold, market-defining innovations from ideation through commercialization, ensuring alignment with marketing, insights, supply chain, and key stakeholders.
• Champion a culture of disruption, pushing boundaries to create game-changing food innovations.
• Define innovation’s role within the portfolio, optimizing product mix, positioning, pricing, and margin strategies.
• Act as the central hub for communication, ensuring full cross-functional integration in key innovation initiatives.
• Engage with external partners, startups, and industry leaders to identify new technologies, capabilities, and strategic opportunities.
• Lead process improvements to enhance agility, speed-to-market, and innovation success rates.
• Foster an insight-driven culture, putting market intelligence and data at the core of decision-making.
• Lead and develop a direct report, providing mentorship and strategic direction.
• Support global innovation strategy and governance, sharing best practices and fostering collaboration.
  
  

What You Bring:

• Experience: 7 years in marketing, brand management, or innovation, with a strong track record in disruptive food innovation.
• Track Record: Proven ability to develop breakthrough products, create new market categories, and drive large-scale food innovation.
• Leadership: Strong people management skills, high EQ, and experience leading direct reports.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to challenge the status quo and push for bold, forward-thinking ideas that redefine industry norms.
• Project Management: Exceptional ability to balance vision with execution, managing multiple high-stakes innovation projects.
• Influence & Collaboration: Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to inspire and gain buy-in at all levels.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Comfort with synthesizing insights from multiple sources to inform disruptive innovation strategies.
• Passion for Growth: Entrepreneurial mindset, resilience, and a drive to lead the food industry into the future.
  
  

This is a rare opportunity to drive real transformation in food innovation. If you thrive on disruption and are ready to make an industry-shifting impact, we’d love to hear from you!

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