Product Innovation - Marketing Director

Murad•El Segundo, CA

2d•$150,000 - $170,000

About The Position

Murad is stepping back into its breakthrough era—doubling down on the spirit that made it a pioneer in clinical skincare. From being among the first doctor-led brands to bring AHAs to mainstream anti-aging routines, to launching early medical-spa concepts, to championing “internal skincare” and cellular hydration through the Cellular Water Principle, Murad has always set the pace for the industry. Its legacy spans the Environmental Shield/Vitamin C franchise (Essential-C and Vita-C), dark-spot breakthroughs like Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum, and category-leading retinol and acne innovations—all backed by top-tier beauty awards and a powerful foundation of 19 patents grounded in Dr. Howard Murad’s science-first philosophy. Now, Murad is looking for a consumer-obsessed, marketing leader to own the end-to-end innovation engine—transforming insights into bold ideas, and bold ideas into on-time, on-budget launches consumers love. In this role, you’ll lead a nimble cross-functional team, steward the innovation pipeline, validate concepts directly with consumers, brief design and packaging partners, and shape the full go-to-market plan for every product you bring to life. If you’re equal parts strategic thinker and hands-on builder—and you’re energized by creating the next generation of category-defining skincare—this is your seat at the table.

Requirements

8–12 years progressive experience in beauty or adjacent CPG, with at least 5 years in marketing product innovation/product development for skincare (prestige/luxury preferred).
Demonstrated track record taking multiple products from concept → validation → commercialization with strong sell-in/sell-through
Demonstrable experience running both global and locally relevant innovation
Fluency with claims & substantiation, consumer testing methods, and cross-functional stage-gate in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
Strong packaging acumen (materials, sustainability, cost, feasibility) and experience briefing agencies.
Commercial orientation: you’re comfortable with target COGS/margins, price pack architecture, and building the business case for innovation.
Exceptional written & verbal communication; proven ability to influence across levels and functions.
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus

Responsibilities

Lead the innovation pipeline from ideation to in-market, balancing near-term wins with a 12–36 month roadmap aligned to Murad’s brand strategy and growth goals.
Spot the signal in the noise: mine trend reports, social listening, competitive & retail reads, ingredient/regulatory developments, and culture to identify whitespace.
Turn insights into winning concepts: author consumer-first concept briefs with positioning, claims territories, reasons-to-believe, pricing corridors, and target COGS/margins.
Validate with consumers: design and run lean, iterative concept, usage & claims studies (qual & quant), including IHUTs, A/B claims vetting, and message testing to de-risk decisions.
Orchestrate cross-functional delivery: chair the stage-gate with R&D, Packaging, Regulatory/Claims, Legal, QA, Operations/Supply, Demand Planning, Creative, Finance, and Sales to keep launches on time and within target margin.
Own the design briefing: lead agencies/partners for brand design, industrial design, and packaging; drive sustainability and cost-in-use requirements from the start.
Shape the full go-to-market: partner with Brand & Consumer Engagement to finalize assortment, pricing, claims hierarchy, creative toolkits, education, sampling, and retail pitch.
Champion global compliance & substantiation: ensure test plans robustly support on-pack and marketing claims across priority markets.
Lead & coach: manage a nimble team; set clear priorities, create development plans, and model a test-and-learn culture.