Senior Associate Brand Manager (Ritz Innovation)

• The Senior Associate Brand Manager on the Ritz Innovation team is responsible for helping drive the innovation pipeline for one of the most iconic cracker brands. This role partners cross-functionally to identify consumer-driven growth opportunities, develop and launch new products, and build the long-term innovation strategy for the RITZ brand
• Work across brand and cross-functional teams to progress existing innovation projects through commercialization and lead cross-functional teams to solve problems and execute with excellence
• Generate key consumer insights to inform innovation strategy and the long-term pipeline
• Build selling stories to present to retail customers for distribution
• Support the development and management of the innovation pipeline, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and category growth objectives
• Conduct consumer, competitive, and market analyses to identify white-space opportunities and emerging trends in the snacking category
• Build compelling business cases for new product concepts, including volume forecasting, P&L development, and strategic rationale
• Lead day-to-day project management of innovation initiatives from concept through commercialization, partnering with R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales, and other teams
• Manage stage-gate processes and ensure projects meet key milestones on time and within budget
• Own and manage the forecast for innovation items, partnering with Finance, Sales, and Demand Planning to ensure accuracy
• Champion a consumer-first mindset by leveraging qualitative and quantitative research to inform decision-making
• Monitor competitive activity, category trends, and the retail landscape to identify risks and opportunities
• Translate insights into actionable innovation briefs
• Serve as the central point of coordination across R&D, Operations, Finance, Sales, Legal, Pack, Insights, and Regulatory to drive innovation projects forward
• Collaborate with the broader Ritz brand team to ensure innovation efforts are integrated with base brand plans and communications
• Present recommendations and project updates to senior leadership with clarity and confidence
• Partner with Sales and Customer Marketing to develop sell-in materials, distribution strategies, and launch plans for new items
• Manage innovation-related budgets and ensure efficient allocation of resources

Ability to thrive in and handle ambiguity & fast paced environment3-5 years of brand management or marketing experience in CPG requiredA desire to drive your future and accelerate your career and the following experience and knoweldge:Experience working with Nielsen data platformsAnalytic and creative thinking skillsEmpathy for consumers and ability to turn insights into “wow” experiences with our brands and productsBachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field requiredStrategic thinking and problem-solving capabilitiesAbility to build and deliver against strict timelinesProven ability to manage complex, cross-functional teams with multiple stakeholdersHighly organizedStrong business acumenStrong Excel and PowerPoint skillsStrong communication and interpersonal skills