Senior Brand Manager, Innovation Strategy & Readiness
Not Your Mother's Haircare, Tampa, FL, United States
Senior Brand Manager, Innovation Strategy & Readiness
Location: Tampa, FL - Onsite
Position Overview
We are seeking a talented and experienced Senior Brand Marketing Manager with a strong background in Innovation and ideally, in the beauty industry. As the Senior Brand Manager, Innovation Strategy & Readiness, you will be the lead for our new product ideas, strategy, and readiness. You will leverage your beauty industry expertise to develop and execute creative new products that resonate with our target audience, improve new user trial, and elevate our brand identity. This role also requires expertise in managing strategy development, product P&Ls, sell‑in story creation for retailers, and portfolio alignment. The role is Tampa-based.
Key Responsibilities
- New Product Strategy & Concept Creation: Create the strategy for new products for the pipeline of Not Your Mother’s. Define what items to launch, when, and the strategic rationale to support.
- Define and communicate the new product’s unique value proposition, positioning, and messaging within the portfolio. Confirm consumer appeal of these concepts.
- Partner with Finance and Supply Chain on cost structure/P&L, critical path schedules and readiness.
Innovation Readiness
- Work with Product Experience and Consumer Market Insights to develop insights, concepts, claims, stories, packaging, product formulation, and size of prize to bring the new products to life.
- Lead stage‑gate documentation, working cross‑functionally, and bring to executive leadership team, Product Council, for approval.
- Ensure package design and copy is on track, irresistible, legally approved, and distinctive to win on virtual and physical shelf in partnership with Creative Studio, Product Experience and Legal.
- Deliver selling stories and sell sheets for new products to set Sales up for success as they pitch to retailers for buy‑in and shelf space.
Consumer Insights
- Stay informed about beauty industry trends, consumer behaviors, and market dynamics.
- Utilize consumer insights and market research to inform innovation strategy and new product development.
Innovation Performance Analysis
- Analyze innovation performance metrics, including awareness, trial, repeat and market share.
- Use data‑driven insights to identify areas for improvement and adjust strategies accordingly.
Margin Enhancement
- Ensure new products meet minimum gross margin requirements for the company.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Enroll key partners and stakeholders including Product Experience, Creative, Project Management, Brand Strategy & Activation, Sales, Legal & Regulatory, etc.
- Attend strategic retailer line review and early innovation pitch meetings.
Requirements
- Strong skills in innovation, including defining insights, developing concepts and messaging. Ability to create a compelling brand story is essential.
- Creative thinking is crucial for developing unique new product concepts that resonate with the target audience and set the brand apart from competitors.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills essential for creating and delivering clear and compelling brand messages to internal and external stakeholders.
- Market analysis including trends, current performance, needs state, competitive analysis, etc. is essential.
- Ensuring brand consistency across all innovation.
- Ability to run basic P&Ls for new items to ensure GM enhancement.
Qualifications
- Proven experience in innovation, ideally within the Beauty and Hair Care industry, with a minimum of 10‑12 years of relevant experience.
- In‑depth knowledge of beauty industry trends, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape.
- Strong creative thinking and ability to translate trends into innovative new products.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create compelling beauty‑related concepts. Comfort presenting ideas to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Analytical mindset & profitable growth orientation.
- Ability to work independently and proven track record of working successfully cross‑functionally across R&D, Insights, Creative and Finance.
- Ability to operate both at the "big idea" level and in the "weeds" of building stimulus and driving artwork, regulatory, legal, copy process.