Sr Manager Innovation & Strategy

Company: Nestle
Location: Arlington
Posted on: January 21, 2023

Job Description:

Foods people love. Brands people trust. And a career that nourishes your future like no other.If you're driven by the passion to do something meaningful that changes lives, Nestle is the place for you. Nestle USA is one of seven operating companies that make up Nestle's presence in the United States. We're in 97% of American homes, and as the leading food and beverage company, our goals are to continue to deliver quality food and beverage products, strengthen our local communities, and reduce our environmental and climate impact.We're determined to challenge the status quo and be better tomorrow than we are today. As individuals and teams, we embrace our entrepreneurial culture and have created a workplace where collaboration is essential, courage is rewarded, speed is expected, and agility is the norm to delight our consumers every single day. Here, you will find limitless opportunities to learn and advance your career and feel empowered to succeed in the workplace and beyond. Because our focus is not only on nourishing our customers, but also about enriching you.This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.POSITION SUMMARY: Do you want to be a key driver in leading new product innovation initiatives with the world's largest Food and Beverage Company and 2-time Fast Company award-winner as the Best Workplaces for Innovators? We empower you to launch, incubate, nurture, and scale "new to the world" consumer solutions to drive future growth for the organization.As a Senior Marketing Manager, Emerging Brands, you will be responsible for leading Nestle USA's new product incubation efforts, seeking to grow & scale the next leading products and brand(s) that will complement Nestle USA's core businesses while creating incremental, sustainable growth. This role is accountable for commercializing new & existing brands product innovation, learning and adapting in-market in close collaboration with Sales, Insights, Finance, Product Development, and Manufacturing with speed and agility. Responsible for development and management of a Sales Manager and -3 Marketing Associates, each leading new product initiatives. You will need to "think big and act small" by driving new to the world innovation in a lean environment, owning tasks from strategy and data analysis to project management and execution in support of Nestle USA's New Business Ventures growth strategy.Strategy

• Manage -4 direct reports and oversee a portfolio of product innovation initiatives; responsible for analyzing the portfolio, and identifying opportunities for improvement - aligned on priorities, strategy, and financial hurdles.
  • Establish Consumer Centricity as a best practice across the businesses by putting consumers, shopper and customers at the heart of all decision making
    • Establish and embed new approaches & best practices to emerging brand & product innovation - including new ways of working, routes to market, distribution strategies, and strategic partnerships. Create and deliver PowerPoint presentations to get stakeholder buy in.
      • Build a strong understanding of bleeding-edge food and beverage trends to help inform strategy and development of new ideas
        • Manage innovation pipeline across existing and emerging opportunities; generate both commercially and financially viable innovation ideas to pursue for development, in close collaboration with the business units and R&D Accelerator.
          • Develop governance model and investment framework to facilitate quarterly approvals of funds by leadership. Communicate project milestones, KPIs, and next steps as part of ongoing stakeholder management.Commercialization and In-Market Driver
            • Oversee portfolio of innovation initiatives, ensuring clear business plans and commercialization for new product opportunities in collaboration with sales, operations, product development and finance to launch quickly to test in-market, learn, and adapt to best deliver on the consumers' needs and desires.
              • Build resourcing model using a combination of external (contractors, agencies) and internal (cross functional) resources to bring products to market and iterate based on consumer feedback. Help build systems that can scale with the team.
                • Build marketing and sales strategies to build and incubate innovations, working with activation teams to build awareness, trial, and repeat with keen focus on digital brand building. Work closely with Insights to develop scrappy methods to gain ongoing learnings from consumers for products in market.
                  • Oversee sales strategy and execution by supporting the identification of go-to-market strategies, key retail partners, and sell-in of product/solutions. Work with CD and Sales team to develop test & learn approach with retailers.
                    • Serve as point of escalation for innovation associates if/when challenges arise across manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, and distribution
                      • Monitor and track in-market performance, adapt strategy to incorporate learnings, and pivot execution where necessary.
                        • Share compelling vision and strategy for innovation within the organization and successfully lead others in that direction.REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM EDUCATION LEVEL:
                          • Bachelor's degree and 7+ Years' Experience
                            • Travel Requirements - 15-20%
                              • Location requirement - Arlington, Virginia (TBD)EXPERIENCE:
                                • Has worked and flourished in entrepreneurial environment
                                  • Has worked successfully in matrixed environment in collaboration with cross functional teams
                                    • Proven results track record (High performer)
                                      • Extraordinary leadership skills
                                        • Strong General Management acumen
                                          • Minimum 5 years of product management experienceSKILLS/COMPE
                                            • Strong bias for action and results; Not afraid to roll up their sleeves to do whatever is necessary to push the company forward.
                                              • Collaborative - an innate ability to connect and work with others in driving action with a "ONE TEAM" mentality. Measures their success in the success of their team.
                                                • Agile - an ability to adapt to change and quickly pivot
                                                  • Courage - be brave to challenge the status quo and be decisive with limited information
                                                    • Speed - focuses exclusively on value-added work, always looking to cut inefficiencies to drive speedPeople Development and Culture Enabler
                                                      • Ensure the Sales Manager and Marketing Associates are set-up for success with clear direction on priorities, strategy, and deadlines. Help build the team and effectively delineate roles and responsibilities.
                                                        • Oversee team to support projects throughout the system - be willing to dive into projects wherever support is needed
                                                          • Actively communicate with cross-functional leadership and key stakeholders on providing direction of projects and making recommendations for commercial progress
                                                            • Leads by example to motivate and inspire cross-functional teams supporting the brand to exceed high performance targets
                                                              • Provide informed insight, learnings, and perspectives to Nestle businesses to enable a company-wide culture of speed, experimentation, and risk taking
                                                                • Consumer-Obsessed
                                                                  • Resourceful - ability to think and act as an entrepreneur
                                                                    • Ability to influence others at the highest levels
                                                                      • Strong communications skills, both oral and written.
                                                                        • Possess excellent creative problem-solving skills
                                                                          • Strong financial acumen\
                                                                            • Strong self-awareness, leading with a growth mindset to learn new things and unlearn old things, fast.
                                                                              • Energy and stamina to address multiple issues, switch contexts quickly, and oversee the execution of a variety of activities, without letting anything slip.
                                                                                • Insatiable curiosity and hunger to learn#LI-HybridIt is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestle. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestle seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you'll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestle home.The Nestle Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Keywords: Nestle, Arlington , Sr Manager Innovation & Strategy, Executive , Arlington, Virginia