Manager, Innovation Strategy
Listed on 2026-08-11
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Marketing / Advertising / PR
Marketing Strategy, Product Marketing, Marketing Management, Market Research
Manager, Innovation Strategy
- Area of Interest
Advertising & Marketing Communications - Location
West Hills, California - Employment Type
Full time - Requisition Number
R12583 - Shift
Regular
This role is not available for any form of immigration sponsorship or support, including completion of the Form I-983 training plan required for STEM OPT.
POSITION SUMMARYThe Manager, Innovation Strategy is a key member of the Nature Made innovation team, supporting the upstream innovation agenda by translating strategic growth priorities, consumer and market insights, and scientific advancements into a structured, multi-year innovation pipeline. Reporting to the Director of Innovation Strategy & Process, this role supports planning, prioritization, and management of the upstream innovation portfolio. The Manager also contributes to continuous improvement of the innovation process, including new capabilities that improve speed and decision‑making.
Criticalcontributions this role is counted on to deliver include:
- Upstream Innovation roadmap
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Translate opportunity areas into structured multi‑year pipeline work streams—spanning research projects and claims—by partnering with Science, Marketing, and Insights to define clear initiatives, timelines, deliverables, and governance. - Portfolio Management
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Develop templates and operating mechanisms that support effective prioritization and alignment of upstream innovation portfolio. - Innovation Process
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Manage continuous improvement of the core innovation process—focusing on agility, consumer centricity, and AI adoption—and manage scoring frameworks and ideation. - Cross‑functional leadership
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Lead and motivate cross‑functional project teams, and act as liaison between Marketing, Nutrition Science, R&D, Regulatory, Legal, and Finance to ensure a fit‑for‑purpose innovation process and future pipeline. - Market analysis and insights
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Partner with insights teams to ensure the innovation strategy is informed by consumer needs, market data, and competitive analysis. - White space business case development
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Provide support to build compelling holistic value propositions for new segments, new business models or partnerships, including financial analysis, positioning, and go‑to‑market considerations.
The ideal candidate brings a growth mindset, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, synthesize insights into actionable opportunities, and balance long‑term innovation with near‑term business priorities. Effective communication skills are paramount with comfort working in a high‑performance, fast‑paced team with people of diverse backgrounds.
You’ll be most successful in this role if you have:- Proven experience in product innovation within the CPG or wellness industry, with a track record of creating successful innovation strategies and product launches.
- Experience in upstream innovation preferred, ability to navigate white space and ambiguity with demonstrated success in shaping strategies for new demand spaces is required.
- Expertise in managing innovation processes, with experience applying agile methodologies.
- Scientific aptitude with proven experience translating complex scientific concepts into compelling consumer‑facing ideas.
- Demonstrated portfolio thinking:
Understands how initiatives connect to broader business goals and priorities. - Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging consumer insights and market data to develop actionable product opportunities.
- Strong financial acumen for building and presenting robust business cases for new products.
- Experience leading and influencing cross‑functional teams and stakeholders.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex strategic concepts.
- Managerial experience preferred.
- Requires a four‑year college or university degree or its equivalent. An MBA is preferred.
- Requires a minimum of 4 years’ experience post‑MBA or 7 years post‑college, with a minimum of 2 years in innovation‑related roles.
- Experience working in the Consumer‑Packaged Goods (CPG) industry is required, with a preference for Health & Wellness, Vitamin and Supplements, or OTC…
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