Innovation Brand Manager

Full job description

Job Description

Summary

Driven by a passion for what’s next, at Constellation Brands we embrace innovation and bold ideas to help shape a future that we truly believe is worth reaching for. We question norms, listen carefully, and anticipate trends. This is just one reason why Constellation Brands is the fastest-growing, large consumer product goods company in the U.S. at retail.

Our Growth & Innovation Team exists within Constellation Brands to create bold ideas in and outside of our premium portfolio of iconic Wine & Spirit brands, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner, SVEDKA Vodka and High West Whiskey.

With that in mind, we are seeking an Innovation Manager that can act as a creative spark and the cross functional team leader to ignite big ideas, establish strategic foundations, influence and inspire, and build business for innovation platforms worth investing in. The role will be responsible for development and flawless execution of disruptive product innovations that drive portfolio growth and brand equity, while continuously helping to strengthen our innovation capabilities in the organization.

This role reports into the Senior Director of W&S Innovation/Growth.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Together with the Innovation Senior Director and the supporting team, this key member of the growth team assesses product innovation opportunities to identify where new wine and spirit brands can be successfully developed. The role is responsible for managing the development of innovation that extends our core portfolio into new spaces as well as the development of disruptive new platforms that together will create our portfolio of tomorrow. This work includes the development of product, positioning, and foundational marketing strategy to set up our innovation agenda for success.

Responsibilities include:

• Pipeline development : Lead and participate in ideation/brainstorming sessions to develop consumer and category trend driven and strategically sound innovation recommendations to the business.

• Innovation project leadership: Timely creation of new innovation platforms from concept, liquid, package design, and positioning to set up and impactful launch and sustained in market success

• Internal and External Partner Management: Management of agencies and close partnership with cross-functional partners to support new product development and maximize available resources.

• Research: collaboration with Innovation Insights and a wide range of external research partners to test, validate & vet ideas and concepts at various stages of development. Utilizing advanced consumer insights to identify opportunities and further validate and optimize concepts that will drive growth and meet objectives

• Creative & Design Thinking: Use highly creative and design driven approaches to develop innovation that is set up to stand out and engage customers and consumer alike.

• Best Practice Development : Operate as an innovation thought leader and identify and implement best practices to strengthen how the organization builds and executes innovation.

• Leadership Alignment: Capture feedback and build consensus around innovation business cases and positioning with the Wine & Spirits Leadership team.

• Business Acumen: Showcase a thorough understanding of business and category key drivers, including overall competitive framework and brand/product dynamics.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a relevant focus (Marketing, Business, Management, etc.)

• 5 years’ experience in a CPG company with 3 years brand marketing and innovation focused experience.

• Strong interest and passion for lifestyle marketing and beverage alcohol categories

• Comfortable and experience bringing structure to ambiguity

• Experience thinking both creatively and analytically in a business setting.

• A passion for innovation, the “what’s next?”, and the drivers behind consumers behavior

• Clear, concise & persuasive written & oral communication skills

• Exceptional organization and project management skills

• Experience in leading strong cross-functional teams and skill in working and influencing within a matrix environment

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, exposure to working with P&L’s

• Ability to identify, interpret and apply critical consumer insights to new product development, with experience applying varying research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) to the process

• Experience directing and collaborating with external partners (e.g., brand strategy, package design, research agencies) for brand development and execution

• Experience managing or mentoring talent plus a strong belief in the power of the team

• Proven track record of successful innovation utilizing a stage-gate process

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA

• Wine industry and/or consumer product company (CPG) experience highly preferred.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Must be at least 21 years of age.

• Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time and work on a computer for extended periods. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.