Senior Brand Manager, Chorizo & Innovation

The Sr. Brand Manager, Chorizo & Innovation is responsible for leading the growth strategy for Cacique’s Chorizo business while driving a robust, consumer‑led innovation pipeline that fuels long‑term brand and category expansion. This role oversees an established but high‑potential business segment and will champion high‑impact innovation initiatives both within and beyond the Chorizo portfolio.The ideal candidate is an experienced CPG innovation leader with strong brand management fundamentals, deep consumer and category insight capability, and proven end‑to‑end commercialization experience. Success requires mastery in concept development, stage‑gate management, cross‑functional leadership, P&L management, trade and channel strategy, and the ability to translate consumer and category insights and trends into scalable, winning innovation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the strategic planning and annual growth agenda for the Chorizo business, balancing both core performance and future-forward expansion opportunities.
• Act as a key champion of the business P&L by contributing strategic insights, informing forecasts, and collaborating with Sales and Finance to drive profitable growth.
• Identify growth opportunities across channels, consumers, usage occasions, and competitive landscapes using consumer insights, category data, and retail trends.
• Serve as the enterprise champion for the Chorizo category, ensuring strong cross-functional understanding of market dynamics and strategic priorities.
• Lead the end-to-end innovation process—from opportunity identification and concept development through feasibility, testing, commercialization, and launch.
• Build a multi‑year innovation pipeline grounded in consumer insights and trends, category dynamics, market whitespace, and retailer opportunity areas.
• Own stage‑gate deliverables and timelines, ensuring tight cross-functional alignment with Sales, R&D, Supply Chain, QA, Regulatory, and Finance.
• Partner with Consumer Insights to validate concepts through qualitative and quantitative testing, ensuring innovations are insights-led and commercially viable.
• Develop retailer sell‑in stories and commercialization plans in collaboration with Sales.
• Lead development of go‑to‑market plans for innovation launches, including positioning, messaging, packaging design, pricing, distribution strategy, and channel prioritization.
• Partner with the Digital/Social/PR Manager and Shopper Marketing Manager to develop and execute integrated demand creation plans that drive awareness, trial, and velocity for innovation launches.

QUALIFICATIONS & EDUCATION

• 7+ years CPG brand management experience, with significant experience in innovation leadership, preferably in food or refrigerated/perishable categories.
• Proven track record leading concept development, stage‑gate processes, commercialization, and successful product launches.
• Strong analytical skills with command of syndicated data (Circana, Nielsen) and ability to turn insights into strategy.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership, financial modeling capability, and strong business acumen.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills and ability to influence cross-functional and executive stakeholders.
• Experience developing retailer sell‑in materials and presenting to customers.
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset, excited to roll up sleeves and own results.
• Strong PC proficiency to include Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Experience marketing to Hispanic or Multi-Cultural consumers a plus.

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