Role Overview:
Our client in the beverage alcohol industry is about to embark on a period of significant white space brand development and innovation within their Ready To Drink Business Unit . They are focussed on the development of a world class innovation department and are seeking new talent in order to build a powerful pipeline of New To World RTD Brands.
As a result, they are looking to recruit a Senior Manager Innovation – New To World. This critical role will work closely with the Director of Brand Development RTD to lead the thinking, insights & strategy on innovation and own the creation of new to world brands in line with our growth strategy. The successful candidate will also lead a high performing team (directly and cross functionally) to deliver industry leading liquids, design, packaging and brand propositions.
Key aspects of the role include
- Deliver on the 5 year growth ambition for our existing portfolio of brands through the creation of a 3-5 year pipeline of concepts from insight to idea, liquid, design, brand world to consumer validation.
- Work closely with the Director of Brand Development RTD on the development of our long term portfolio thinking and strategy with our external strategic partners, explore white space, global beverage and flavour trends, identify early clues & trends within category and culture
- Develop distinctive brand positionings and brand worlds for each concept.
- In conjunction with our liquid innovation lab in Vancouver, develop world class liquids and flavors.
- Pulse cultural, consumer & industry trends
- Inspire & motivate innovation agencies and cross functional teams to deliver excellence across the portfolio of projects.
- Champion and help embed an innovation culture across the business
The successful candidate must have a proven track record in strategic brand development, preferably within alcohol beverage, leading Brand development projects from insights to ideation . He/She should be comfortable leading the planning and implementation of consumer taste, purchasing and general trend research studies and using the information garnered to propose new brand development opportunities for the company to test and commercialize. An energized self-starter, the successful candidate should be entrepreneurial in their approach, knowing when to move quickly on findings, as well as when to apply additional rigour before outlining the next steps to be taken. He/She must have excellent communication and presentation skills, being able to quickly cut through to the key facts on why a concept should be considered or not. The art of persuasion is key – they must also be highly commercial, understanding of the costs and P&L associated with liquid and brand development.
Key Competencies:
The position requires a combination of the following skills and abilities:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent, in commercial, research or related subjects.
- At least 10 years of experience in Marketing and/or Innovation
- Analytical with strong organisational & problem-solving abilities.
- Proven strategic thinker
- Proven track record in innovation/new to market brand projects –
- Ability to build sustainable rapport with key contacts within the industry.
- Excellent inter-personal skills, with a compelling and energetic manner in individual and group situations.
- Champion of new ideas and initiatives; ability to identify new business opportunities and make them a reality.
- Strong written and oral communication skills as well as excellent presentation abilities
- Smart, creative thinker with ability to approach problems in a non-linear fashion.
- Cross-functional leadership with an ability to influence people to a shared vision. Ability to generate buy-in from multiple stakeholders
- High attention to detail with a great ability to multi-task
- Line manager experience a distinct advantage
Travel:
The successful candidate will be expected to travel in support of this role. This could be up to 30% of his/her time.
Remuneration:
An attractive package commensurate to the role is on offer including;
- Competitive salary & bonus
- Pension
- Healthcare
- Holidays of 5 weeks per annum