Brand Manager Innovation

Introduction

The person needs to be a senior, experienced innovation expert, who thrives with complex projects, has strong project management and influencing skills, knows how to truly collaborate for superior results, and is passionate about innovation. The person should also have strong leadership and team management skills, managing a diverse team spread across different locations. They need to have that #Gamechanger spirit that will make them go the extra mile to impact the business.

• Be a leader on the consumer‑centric Innovation team delivering incremental sustainable growth across the portfolio.
• Help execute the new ways of working with Global Brand Units and Market.
• Ensure that methodologies / approaches / framework developed are value‑add and facilitate local and global market needs.

• This team member is building innovation for one of the biggest brands, thus consumer/market evidence will be needed to bring along partners.
• Leverage analytics, insights and testing throughout the stage‑gate process, establish clear criteria to advise go‑to‑market go/no‑go decision.
• Incorporate a holistic approach to include the consumer, sales, retailer and distributor feedback to identify and enhance innovation efforts.
• Drive consumer centricity from ideation to execution.

• End‑to‑end project management to gain alignment on innovation platforms, pipeline, agenda for the regions, sign‑off on innovation initiatives.
• Lead brand strategy, ideation process, design brief, development – all the steps of front‑end innovation.
• Work to move projects through the system: deliver on P&L responsibilities while balancing critical aspects of the innovation that aren’t negotiable; partner with Sales, Commercial, Chains to maximize chances of commercial success.
• Partner with local marketing teams to support launch plans and drive successful execution.

• Lead the team to help identify and build innovation opportunities on a global scale.
• Build out strategic innovation platforms that cut across the portfolio and drive big ideas for the brand(s) to deliver incremental, sustainable innovation.
• Create a mid/long‑term roadmap grounded in consumer insights, that leverage demand, and create a true sustainable advantage versus competition.
• Mine the innovation pipeline for quick wins that are relevant to the market that fit opportunities for year‑one launch while also building out the long‑term pipeline.
• Share the innovation roadmap with strategic partners in innovation forums to drive excitement, collaboration and buy‑in.
• Establish KPIs to measure innovation development progress and post‑launch success.

• Challenge / inspire business opportunities and identify pain‑points in the local markets to identify opportunities for global synergies.
• Support best practice share‑outs with cross‑functional teams.
• Push and support excellence in delivery (Post‑Evaluation Analysis, reporting etc…).

Indirect Reports: Responsible for influencing and coordinating support for innovation development working with Insights, Finance, R&D, Operations, and Sales.

Key External Contacts: Research suppliers, creative agencies, consultants, industry experts, external collaborators.

Key Internal Contacts: Local marketing teams, global brand units, HQ, CI COE’s and CI planners across brand & market company community.

Budget Responsibility: P&L responsibilities.

Geographical Scope:

• International (100%)
• 5‑10% (Insights work, liquid development/print runs, market/retailer visits, potential international travel to relevant brand unit or HQ)

• Relevant experience, such as supporting innovation teams in the F&B or spirits industry in North America or globally within a large established organization; other relevant experience such as Bel Alc brand management, within an innovation agency, within a design team, project management experience or technical spirits experience in R&D a plus.
• Demonstrated…