Sr. Manager, Npd & Innovation

Summary:

Proximo is a leading producer, distributor, importer, and marketer of prized spirits in the United States. Always on the lookout for what is next, Proximo builds brands and creates new products to meet the world’s changing tastes and trends in memorable new ways. An integral part of the successful management of these brands is well-managed and executed logistics while bringing new products to market.

The NPD & Innovation will lead Proximo’s logistical planning and implementation of all new product rollouts. This position will follow the development of new products from ideation to launch, managing along with brand teams, all aspects of the development, from packaging design, naming, liquid development, legal approvals all the way to finished product.

This job entails working with cross-functional teams spanning sales, brand & trade marketing, operations, distillery (US, Ireland, Mexico), legal and more, guiding new products through the go-to-market phases.

Must have a passion for innovation and curiosity to solve problems while being able to collaborate cross-functionally with the brand teams.

Role & Responsibilities:

New Product Development:

• Work closely with project stakeholders to bring concepts to life – from articulating the white space to forecasting and providing persuasion-selling materials (including samples)
• Drive NPD projects forward to deliver against budget and timeline
• Develop and communicate new product rollout plans for end-to-end delivery
• Manage NPD Manager to create and implement best-in-class new product development processes
• Champion and socialize online management tools and processes within the organization
• Manage NPD budget
• Mitigate risk by proposing proactive solutions quickly and thoughtfully
• Handle pivots to project plans and owning implications
• Build relationships with relevant stakeholders including R&D, marketing, operations, sales and leadership, as well as external vendors
• Ensure all NPD projects have been approved and communicated to the broader team
• Conduct post-mortems for all NPD launches to understand key success metrics
• Serve as the central project hub to clearly communicate upcoming milestones and deliverables to the team

Innovation:

• Manage the innovation process and projects for assigned categories to ensure a consistent and complete plan for commercialization is adopted and executed
• Lead ongoing industry trend analyses to identify new product innovation opportunities (white space and line extensions)
• Translate market trends into insights to inform decisions on product portfolio and value proposition
• Deliver fresh, new, and exciting white space concepts, utilizing data for validation, which will drive strategic incremental growth
• Manage cross-functional teams throughout commercialization processes.
• Collaborate with brand teams to gain alignment on growth drivers, inspire creativity and yield results
• Validate product innovation concepts meet brand and financial goals and are commercially viable
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Commercial leaders, R&D, Consumer Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and the broader organization to bring innovation concepts to shelf.

Key Competencies:

• Problem Solving-- Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyses information skilfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Analytical-- Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.
• Business Acumen-- Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
• Teamwork-- Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Planning/Organizing-- Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Financial Skills-- P&L Management (pricing, costs, margins, tax, discounts).
• Creative Thinking-- Re-examining traditional strategies and practices, and proactively looking for new ideas and ways to improve products, services, and work processes.

Key Relationships:

• Internal: Marketing, Commercial Strategy, Finance & Accounting, Field Sales, Commercial Team, Finance, Operations & PR
• External: Research agencies, Nielsen, IRI, Distributor Partners & Agency Partners: Advertising/Creative/Social Media/PR

Knowledge and Experience

• Ability to collaborate at all levels of the organization and across other functional areas.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate (verbal/writing) effectively.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent. MBA strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated project management skills with bias for action.
• Team oriented player that thrives in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to lead and manage projects with cross-functional teams across the company and our distributor network.
• Self-motivated and strong analytical / problem solving skills.
• Experience with managing budgets, working with creative agencies, developing new packaging and a solid working knowledge of Nielsen.
• Computer skills including MS Office programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel PowerPoint.
• Minimum 5 years work experience within the Consumer-Packaged Goods Industry with a minimum of 2 years' experience in Innovation (developing and commercializing new products and platforms).
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple priorities and strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of processes required to conduct competitive or industry landscape analyses.
• Experience analyzing consumer and category data & translating into new product/platform recommendations.

The salary range for this role is a base salary of $134,400 - $173,000 along with an annual bonus, 401K match, and medical and wellness benefits. The range will vary if outside of this location. Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a candidate’s experience and skill set against internal peers and against the scope and responsibilities of the position.