Manager Marketing Innovation

Manager Marketing Innovation

Manager Marketing Innovation is responsible for the development and delivery of strategic, scalable and sustainable innovation pipelines for the APAC Region. Through a strong cross functional leadership, this role will champion a consumer-driven innovation pipeline through the deliberate use of research, leading several projects from idea and concept generation to execution: closely partnering with Central and Local Marketing, Commercial, regulatory and Supply teams across a broad base of local, regional and global stakeholders. This role will lead a team of direct and indirect reports (in total 2 positions).

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Assessing the regional and local specific innovation needs that will enable Hershey APAC region to achieve and exceed its strategic and financial goals.
• Developing and managing local co-manufacturing platforms to address specific local innovation needs across different product categories.
• Defining a 3 years projects innovation pipeline for the various Markets within the AEMEA Region across different categories.
• Leading end-to-end the project development and delivery process, ensuring that timelines and milestones are met.
• Leading the new product go-to-market – plan the launch of new products and manage the cross-functional implementation of the plan up to the in-market launch.
• Creating project plans, including schedules, budgets, and resource plans and eagerly enforce them.
• Tracking and monitoring of progress of projects and summarize status reports for all stakeholders.
• Continuously developing process improvements to increase efficiency, productivity, and communication in marketing, brand, and product development.
• Connecting and aligning all departments involved in the launch of products (Operations, Product Development, Design, Management).
• Facilitating feedback, approval processes, and delivery schedules.
• Managing and lead project status standups, meetings, and workshops.
• Actively participating in incubating new projects and product ideas based on trend and forecasting data, as well as personal intellectual curiosity.
• Creating and leveraging Open Innovation platforms to solve compelling innovation challenges and deliver business impact.

Minimum Competencies/Skills/Knowledge Required

• Minimum of 8 years in Marketing Innovation or R&D, preferably at a food company with minimum of 2 years of team management.
• Experience in leading new product innovation white space, including comprehensive business case, analysis, market sizing, forecasting, strategic marketing, a new product validation models.
• Experience managing complex processes with colleagues across tenures and roles.
• Familiarity with food manufacturing processes, quality assurance principles, and ingredient interactions.
• Proven track record in developing strategy; guiding experimentation and finding creative and new solutions.
• Experience in Open Innovation projects would be a plus.
• Broad understanding and interest in food science and engineering would be a plus.
• Up to 20% global travel required.
• High initiative and determination to drive results.
• Being fast-thinker and able to solve issues swiftly.
• Confident in decision making and calculated risk taking.
• High willingness to drive change & innovation.
• Capability to work in a high speed, lean Organization with entrepreneurial mindset.
• Sharp influencing skills and capability to build consensus at different organizational levels.