Position Description: The Product Management and Innovation Manager leads the product lifecycle management for assigned brands/segments/needs including assortment choices, product positioning and innovation pipeline, with the goal of optimizing revenue, margin and working capital deployment.

 Responsibilities:

1. Translates business/brand strategy into innovation and product strategy through the management of pricing, margin, product positioning, on-pack promotions and assortment, and the development and execution of a new product pipeline.
2. Manages the lifecycle of products in assigned brand and/or need states to optimize volume and margin.

1. Maintains a consumer-first focus and understands trade customers’ needs while developing and executing innovation and product management plans.
2. Be the expert on assigned brand/need states/categories, their performance, the competition and the trends impacting them.
3. Provides Marketing and Sales with insights on product key differentiators and messages in order to maximize distribution and sales.
4. Acts as the connection between Sales, Marketing, R&D and Operations as it relates to product life-cycle management.
5. Monitors product performance including consumer and customer feedback, COGS, margin and sales, and recommends plans to optimize.
6. Identifies gaps in the portfolio and recommend plans to fill these gaps.
7. Identifies opportunities to improve performance of focus SKU’s (e.g. improved claims, better packaging, etc.).
8. Helps determine consumers' needs and desires by identifying research opportunities; works with Insights team to request research.
9.  

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree, MBA preferred
• Minimum 5 years experience in CPG product management, brand management or innovation roles
• Strong analytical and project management skills
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills
•  Must be proficient with Word and Outlook
• Must have working knowledge of Excel
  Ø Good written and verbal communication