Director, Innovation Product Marketing

Responsibilities:

• Lead product marketing and drive innovation pipeline across categories inclusive of color cosmetics, skin, hair etc. Through building segments and franchises by leveraging insights and analytics to support strategic direction and priorities, including focus on fast-growing categories, hero products and emerging trends.
• Assist in the development of 3-year innovation strategy that addresses business and retailer objectives.
• Determine new market opportunities for products based on market data, consumer insights, social listening, and emerging trends.
• Lead market analysis to determine success factors in product category (messaging, visuals, claims) for new and existing products.
• Infuse compelling storytelling to new product launches.
• Attend quarterly innovation sessions for strategic calendar planning.
• Lead weekly Cross Functional meetings, responsible for monitoring new launch forecasts with Planning and Sales teams.
• Responsible for executing new product innovation briefs with manager support and in partnership with Product Development team outlining strategies, positioning, target claims, key ingredients, SRP, packaging detail, formula detail.
• Responsible for recommending and setting pricing structure for new product innovation based on positioning and competitive landscape.
• Partner with Product Development on ingredients, product formats, breakthrough innovation ideas, review and approval of formula submissions, clinical and consumer testing parameters for product claims.
• Lead cost of goods management; value analysis; implementation of feasibility approval process.
• Ensure COGs efficiency to meet overall brand financial objectives; including pricing and SKU management.
• Partner with Education and help guide deeper education opportunities.
• Partner with Innovation Upstream manager to inform white space opportunitiesbased on consumer insights and social listening data.
• Design sampling strategy for new launches and core support, collaborating with sales and brand marketing.
• Responsible for working with Copywriter to develop all product copy.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams: Creative, Sales, Brand (Go To Market team), International Marketing, Planning, Education, Regulatory, Sourcing, Visual Merchandising, Legal, Product Development and R&D to ensure flawless execution for all new launches
• Partner with China R&D on new program development and execution.
• Attend weekly China calls to inform and support product marketing programs.
• Attend monthly China QA calls to be informed of product challenges.
• Interface with quality areas for improvement of new and existing products.
• Champion development and execution meetings for Innovation with key cross functional partners to achieve on time launches.
• Responsible for preparation and facilitation of Stage Gate meetings that involve President and CEO.
• Manage and develop (1) direct report.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of work experience in innovation product marketing (5+ years specific to beauty categories with a deep understanding of ingredients and market dynamics)
• Proven consumer product marketing experience, having led entire product development cycle from concept to market introduction.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to translate conceptual initiatives into detailed marketing plans with the support of multiple internal teams.
• Strong understanding of beauty category and mass market landscape is desired with expertise of customer-driven marketing strategies.
• Thrives in fast-paced and ever-changing environment, flexible with the ability to manage conflicting priorities.
• A proven and successful people-management and leadership track record.
• A strategic thinker and team player.
• Organized and detail oriented with a strong ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation communication skills.
• Expertise in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, NPD, Nielsen database.
• Willingness for occasional travel (domestic and international).
• Willingness to interface with China team and attend weekly evening meetings.