Director, Innovation Marketing

Simple Mills • Chicago, IL

18d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Innovation Marketing will shape Simple Mills’ growth agenda by identifying emerging consumer needs and market opportunities and translating them into breakthrough platforms, innovation pipelines, and product launches. The role is intended to strengthen the company’s portfolio, create meaningful consumer value, and deliver sustainable growth in the better-for-you food landscape. Reporting to the Head of Innovation & Mission, this leader will work across the organization to define where the company should compete and how it can win, align senior leaders and cross-functional teams around an innovation vision, and advance ideas from concept through commercialization. The Director will also build the capabilities, processes, governance, and culture needed to sustain long-term growth and competitive advantage.

The role leads innovation strategy and portfolio decisions, consumer-centered product development, commercialization, and performance tracking. It partners with Brand Marketing, Consumer Insights, R&D, Commercial teams, and executive leaders to assess opportunities, investments, and portfolio tradeoffs. The Director also leads, coaches, and develops a high-performing Innovation team. The position includes tasting food and working in the vicinity of various food allergens.

This is a hybrid position requiring work from the Chicago, Illinois office at least once per week. When working remotely, employees must work from a designated location in the United States with sufficient internet access for video conferencing.

Requirements

• 10–12+ years of progressive experience in food, beverage, wellness, or consumer packaged goods innovation, marketing, strategy, or general management, including significant responsibility for developing and commercializing growth-driving innovation.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Deep passion for natural foods and the connection between food, human health, and planetary wellness.
• Demonstrated curiosity about emerging food, wellness, and cultural trends.
• Experience leading innovation pipelines, portfolio decisions, and cross-functional commercialization efforts at scale.
• Success defining innovation strategy, building multi-year growth pipelines, and delivering innovation that drives revenue growth, profitability, and strategic business objectives.
• Experience shaping growth strategies and influencing enterprise-level business decisions.
• Experience working in both large, complex organizations and entrepreneurial, high-growth environments.
• Track record leading cross-functional teams to deliver breakthrough, category-shaping, or new-to-the-world innovation from concept through commercialization.
• Expertise across opportunity identification, consumer insights, concept and positioning development, product development, commercialization, business case development, financial analysis, and portfolio management.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience evaluating growth opportunities, making investment recommendations, and managing innovation-related investment decisions.
• Strategic and disciplined thinking, with the ability to identify opportunities, set direction, and translate ambiguity into focused action.
• Ability to move between long-term vision and executional detail.
• Entrepreneurial leadership; ability to thrive in ambiguity, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and drive progress through influence and accountability.
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and influencing skills, including the ability to build alignment, challenge constructively, and engage confidently with leaders at all levels.
• Proven people leadership experience coaching, developing, and growing high-performing teams.
• Ability to taste and work in the vicinity of various food allergens.

Nice To Haves

• MBA strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems.

Responsibilities

• Define innovation strategy and build multi-year growth pipelines across core, adjacent, and emerging categories.
• Identify and prioritize growth opportunities using consumer insights, market trends, competitive intelligence, and whitespace analysis.
• Partner with Brand Marketing, Consumer Insights, R&D, and Commercial teams to align innovation priorities with business objectives.
• Partner with executive leaders to evaluate growth opportunities, investment decisions, and portfolio tradeoffs.
• Establish innovation governance and decision-making frameworks that align resources, priorities, and long-term growth objectives.
• Strengthen innovation capabilities, processes, and ways of working to improve speed, quality, and impact.
• Drive portfolio prioritization and investment decisions to maximize growth potential and effective use of resources.
• Translate consumer insights into differentiated concepts, products, and platforms that create meaningful value.
• Use research and experimentation to validate opportunities, reduce risk, and inform decisions.
• Synthesize complex information into clear recommendations that influence business strategy and investment decisions.
• Lead cross-functional teams through the end-to-end innovation process, from opportunity identification through commercialization.
• Partner with R&D to develop products that meet consumer expectations, business objectives, and brand standards.
• Ensure initiatives achieve financial, strategic, and operational objectives while proactively managing risk and execution.
• Balance long-term innovation ambitions with near-term business priorities and performance goals.
• Build business cases and innovation plans that support growth and profitability objectives.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders on commercialization, including positioning, sales stories, and go-to-market strategies.
• Establish success metrics and post-launch performance tracking for innovation initiatives.
• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend resource allocation adjustments to maximize growth and profitability.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Innovation team and foster curiosity, accountability, and critical thinking.
• Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, and development of future innovation leaders.
• Perform other projects as assigned.

Benefits

• Annual bonus opportunity.
• Health, financial, and wellness programs.
• Time-off approach designed to allow employees to rest and recharge.
• Lifestyle perks and innovation product shipments.
• Professional development through hands-on training, learning platforms, and career growth opportunities.
• Competitive total rewards package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director