The Senior Brand Manager, Innovation leads cross-functional teams to develop and commercialize new products that address evolving consumer needs, build a multi-year pipeline of growth initiatives, and support the company’s sustainability goals. As part of the Reynolds Cooking & Kitchen Essentials team at headquarters in Lake Forest, IL, this role applies strategic thinking, consumer insights, and creativity to shape the future portfolio and drive profitable, sustainable growth in a highly collaborative environment.

This role is hybrid Tuesday through Thursday.

You Will Have the Opportunity to Make Great Things Happen!

Business Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute comprehensive business strategies that drive profitable growth across the assigned portfolio.
• Develop annual and long-range business plans that support revenue growth, profitability, and market share objectives.
• Monitor market trends, competitive activity, and category performance to identify opportunities and mitigate business risks.
• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend actions to maximize profitability and long-term growth.
• Manage multiple strategic initiatives while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.

Brand & Portfolio Management

• Lead brand and private label portfolio management, including innovation, pricing, commercialization, and lifecycle management.
• Manage pricing strategy, price-pack architecture, promotional investments, and portfolio optimization.
• Translate consumer, shopper, and market insights into actionable business strategies and growth opportunities.
• Analyze financial performance, market trends, retailer data, and consumer insights to drive business decisions.

Innovation & Commercialization

• Lead innovation pipeline development, including concept evaluation, commercialization, launch planning, and post-launch analysis.
• Lead cross-functional teams to successfully commercialize new products and execute strategic initiatives.
• Develop compelling business cases supporting new product launches, investments, and strategic initiatives.
• Partner with Consumer Insights, R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Sales throughout product development and commercialization.

Financial & Business Performance

• Manage business performance through ownership of the P&L, financial forecasting, pricing strategy, and investment decisions.
• Present business performance, strategic recommendations, and growth initiatives to senior leadership.
• Prepare executive presentations and communicate business performance, risks, opportunities, and strategic recommendations.

Customer & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Sales, Customer Marketing, and Category Management to develop customer-focused growth strategies.
• Collaborate with Customer Marketing and Category Management to translate brand strategies into customer-specific selling stories and activation plans.
• Build strong partnerships across Sales, Finance, Operations, R&D, Customer Marketing, and Category Management.

Marketing Effectiveness & Continuous Improvement

• Support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen marketing capabilities, business processes, and commercial execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in marketing effectiveness, portfolio management, and commercial execution.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

You Will Love It Here If… 

• You listen, learn, and evolve
• You thrive in a fast-paced environment
• You put safety first, always
• You are passionate about collaboration, teamwork, and achieving shared goals
• You believe in treating all people with respect, operating ethically, and growing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace
• You are committed to improving our impact on local communities and creating positive experiences 

Education/Experience

     Required

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive marketing experience in the CPG industry.
• 3–5 years of experience with market research, innovation, and new product development.

     Preferred

• MBA or other advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Experience leading innovation and product commercialization initiatives.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Proven project management capabilities, with the ability to organize and manage multiple projects simultaneously from ideation through execution.
• Experience with consumer research methodologies and a New Product Stage Gate process.
• Excellent business acumen with experience managing budgets and P&Ls.
• Proficiency with syndicated and retailer data platforms such as Nielsen, Circana, or IRI.
• Strong analytical, communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule during key business deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel 10–15%.

Competencies

• Intellectual Curiosity: Proactively explores consumer needs, category trends, and emerging opportunities to identify new avenues for innovation.
• Problem Solving: Uses research, data, and sound judgment to resolve complex issues and advance innovation projects.
• Entrepreneurship: Takes ownership of opportunities and turns ideas into actionable business cases and commercialized products.
• Customer Centricity: Places consumer and customer needs at the center of product definition, portfolio choices, and launch strategies.
• Growth Mindset: Seeks feedback, learns from results, and adapts approaches to strengthen innovation outcomes.
• Continuous Improvement: Identifies and implements better ways to manage projects, collaborate, and execute the innovation process.

Want to know more? Check out our website or connect with us on LinkedIn! Apply today to join a fast-growing innovative company!

Not a good fit but know someone who is? Please refer them! No unsolicited recruiter or agency inquiries, please.