At least 10 years of experience in marketing, innovation, or consumer research, including experience launching products into new categories.
A bachelor's degree in marketing, or an equivalent combination of education and additional years of experience that provides the necessary skills, knowledge, and ability to perform the assigned tasks.
Knowledge of consumer trends in grocery and consumer packaged goods.
Ability to analyze and interpret data to provide actionable insights.
Ability to adapt to changes, problems, and shifting priorities.
Effective verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to tailor communication style and content to the audience.
Ability to work effectively with a team using direct communication, respect, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
Ability to make presentations to executive management, department managers, supervisors, and staff.
Ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to create informative and effective reports.
Ability to research using multiple verifiable sources.
Professional proficiency in reading, understanding, and communicating information effectively in English.
Ability to sit for up to approximately two hours at a time and lift items weighing up to 25 pounds if required.
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
Responsibilities
Develop and lead innovation strategies, products, brand stories, and packaging solutions that meet customer needs.
Create and lead the innovation strategy and new product roadmap to deliver short- and long-term goals.
Partner with broader business teams to guide category portfolio management and strategic focus for current and future portfolios.
Manage the innovation stage-gate process to validate concept feasibility, including opportunity assessment, idea validation, food and packaging solutions, financial business cases, and launch plans.
Lead internal and external cross-functional teams in delivering food and packaging solutions, supply chain solutions, customer selling stories, and commercial go-to-market plans.
Analyze innovation performance and the competitive environment to identify trends, opportunities, and threats.
Partner with the Sales team in customer meetings to present innovation stories.
Assess available initiative performance information and pivot to alternative opportunities as needed.
Examine current processes and implement improved ways of working with the new product development cross-functional team.
Use available data to understand consumer trends that inform innovation opportunities and ideas.
Apply understanding of consumer behavior drivers to develop compelling consumer stories.
Collaborate with Sales and Insights to develop compelling customer selling stories.
Mentor and lead team members to test ideas and take calculated risks to improve company performance.
Develop respectful relationships with team members to build an inclusive and collaborative team.
Comply with company policies and procedures and operate equipment safely and in a food-safe manner.
Comply with food safety policies and procedures, including FDA regulations, Safe Quality Food standards, and Good Manufacturing Practices.
Report food safety and quality concerns to supervisors or the department manager.
Perform other duties and tasks as assigned.
Oversee the Innovation Team.
Desired Qualifications
A Master of Business in marketing is preferred.
Department: Marketing
Location: On-Site; Milwaukie, OR
Shift: Day, Monday - Friday; Full-Time
Wage: $185,000 - $200,000 annually based on experience
Company Overview: At Bob’s Red Mill, we inspire joy with wholesome foods. Since 1978, we have been leading the natural foods industry by providing our customers with good food that makes them feel great. Wholesome means ensuring our food is of the highest quality, empowering and supporting our diverse group of employee owners, respecting our planet, and bettering our communities. We believe that joy is for everyone.
Position Overview: The Director of Innovation Marketing develops and leads innovation strategies to deliver the products, brand stories, and packaging solutions that customers desire.
Essential Job Functions:
Creates and leads the innovation strategy and new product roadmap to deliver short and long-term goals.
Partners with broader business teams to guide category portfolio management and strategic focus for current and future portfolio.
Manages the innovation stage gate process to validate concept feasibility including opportunity assessment, idea validation, food and packaging solutions, financial business case, and launch plan.
Leads internal and external cross-functional teams to deliver food, packaging, supply chain solutions, customer selling story, and commercial go-to-market plan.
Analyzes innovation performance and competitive environment to identify trends, opportunities, and threats.
Partners with Sales team for in-market customer meetings to bring the innovation story to life.
Assesses available information on initiative performance and pivots as needed to alternative opportunities.
Examines current processes and implements improved ways of working in conjunction with NPD cross functional team.
Utilizes available data to understand consumer trends that fuel innovation opportunities and ideas.
Leverages understanding of the drivers of consumer behavior and crafts a compelling consumer story.
Collaborates with Sales and Insights to develop compelling customer selling stories.
Mentors and leads team members to test ideas and take calculated risks to drive better company performance.
Develops respectful relationships with team members to build an inclusive and collaborative team.
Complies with all company policies and procedures and operates all equipment in a safe and food-safe manner.
Complies with Bob’s Red Mill food safety policies and procedures including adherence to FDA regulations, Safe Quality Food (SQF) Standards, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
Responsible for reporting food safety and quality concerns to Supervisors and/or Department Manager.
Performs other duties and tasks as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
This positions oversees the Innovation Team.
This position reports to the VP of Marketing.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of consumer trends in grocery and consumer packaged goods.
Skilled in analyzing and interpreting data to provide actionable insights.
Effective problem-solving skills.
Ability to adapt to changes, problems, and shifting priorities.
Possesses effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
Ability to work effectively with a team using direct communication, respect, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
Capable of tailoring communication style and content to reflect the audience and provide clear, concise information.
Ability to make presentations to executive management, department managers, supervisors, and staff.
Effective communication skills to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
Skilled in creating informative and effective reports.
Skilled in researching, using multiple verifiable sources.
Ability to read, understand, and communicate information effectively in English with professional proficiency.
Demonstrates Respect, Teamwork, Accountability, and Determination.
Education and Experience:
10 or more years of experience in marketing, innovation, or consumer research experience including experience launching products into new categories, AND
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Master of Business in marketing preferred; OR
Any combination of education and additional years of experience that provides the necessary skills, knowledge, and ability to perform assigned tasks.
Physical Demands:
Position requires the ability to sit for up to approximately two hours at a time.
May be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment:
The primary work environment for this position is within an office setting.
There are no adverse conditions associated with this position.
This position will need to travel up to 25% of the time.
Employees will be exposed to common food allergens.