Marketing Director - Innovation

POSITION SUMMARY

The Marketing Director - Innovations leads our innovation strategy and drives new product development initiatives. This role requires a forward-thinking marketer with a passion for food and flavor, who can identify market trends, understand consumer needs, and translate insights into actionable marketing strategies. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in product innovation and a strong ability to collaborate across functions to bring new products to market successfully.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Entrepreneur Leadership: Lead a team of cross-functional professionals and owned the product P&L via fostering a culture of innovation and excellence within the existing organization. Work closely with R&D, sales, and operations teams to ensure successful product development. Foster a collaborative environment that encourages creative thinking and innovation. Lead with courage to bridge through and call out necessary decision or resource needs in a timely manner. Other duties may be assigned.
• Innovation & New Product Development: Develop and execute a comprehensive innovation strategy aligned with the company’s goals, focusing on new product development, line extensions, and market expansion. Lead the end-to-end product development process, from concept ideation to market launch. Oversee product testing and ensure alignment with brand standards and consumer expectations. 
• Turn Market & Consumer Insights into Business Strategy: Work with Business Analytics and Insights team to conduct market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape insights. Utilize this data to inform product development and marketing strategies.
• Brand/ Communication Positioning: Develop compelling brand positioning and messaging for new products, ensuring consistency with overall brand identity. Create marketing plans that effectively communicate product benefits and features.
• Operationalize Business Performance and Seek for Continuous Business Improvements: Monitor and analyze the performance of new products in the market. Use insights to refine strategies and improve future product development efforts.
• Budget Management: Manage the marketing innovation budget effectively, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently to support strategic objectives.

COMPETENCIES

• Autopilot Leadership – self motivated and lead with a business helicopter view
• Drive for Results
• Problem Solving
• Innovation Management
• Managing & Measuring Work

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position involves managing multiple cross-functional members from I&Q and BA&I. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

REQUIED EDUCATION, SKILLS and EXPERIENCES

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Food Science, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 12 years of experience in marketing, with a focus on product innovation, preferably in the food and beverage industry or at a Fortune 500 CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies; incubation, end to end business (P&L) ownership experience is a plus. 
• Strong understanding of consumer behavior and market dynamics in the condiment and sauce sector.
• Proven track record of successfully launching new products and driving revenue growth.
• Experience working in multinational corporations while utilizing change management skill in a dynamic, fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Creative thinker with a passion for food and culinary trends.
• Strong analytical skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• The individual must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook). Knowledge of SAP is a plus.

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

• The individual must possess excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English to communicate clearly, accurately and with impact.

 MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• The individual must apply fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.    
• Ability to apply mathematical concepts such as probabilities and statistical inference to forecast marketing budgets, costs, and return.

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Regularly required to use hands and fingers to perform daily job functions (such as using a computer keyboard, cell phone, and office equipment). 
• Required to stand, sit, kneel, stoop or walk; talk or hear; and taste or smell when performing essential job functions (such as visiting customer sites, interacting with users, and traveling in vehicles).  
• Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds may be necessary (such as moving products or samples.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

• The position is often in a typical office setting.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually light and moderate.
• This position requires up to 25% travel; most travel is outside the local area and overnight. Some of the travel may be international.

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.