Senior Director, Innovation and Beverage Strategy

Coca-Cola•Atlanta, GA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Innovation and Beverage Strategy, will lead Enterprise beverage strategy and the product development strategy for one of Coca-Cola’s strategic global customers in International Markets (all markets excluding North America). This leader will work closely with the customer, internal cross functional teams and external agency partners to identify key growth opportunities (Where to Play) and execute the best solutions for growth (How to Win). In this role, the Innovation lead will serve as a beverage subject matter expert (SME) for the customer and will be the primary liaison with KO R&D and the customer’s culinary team. They will also work closely with the customer’s Beverage Category Team and Local Market Menu teams to collaborate, influence, and sell product ideas at the headquarters level geared to help the customer grow. This leader may also have the opportunity to collaborate with Coca-Cola system leaders to scale solutions. We would like our Innovation leads in North America and International Markets to work closely together to examine and improve the innovation process as defined today and support showcases in each other’s area of the world. This role requires a passion for thinking outside the box, working in a fast-paced environment and having a sense of tenacity and perseverance. This leader should love product development and innovation and have a genuine curiosity for category and beverage trends. This leader should also be proficient in custom research and product research methodologies to support our ideas and decisions.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in innovation, brand or new product strategy within the consumer goods industry
Customer or Client-Service Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in related field or relevant job experience
Knowledge of Coca-Cola system preferred
All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form (Form I-9) upon hire.

Nice To Haves

Innovation Pipeline Development : Effectively combines capabilities, resources, business priorities, and insights to develop and manage the pipeline of product, package, and/or equipment innovation.
Product Development Lifecycle : Demonstrates knowledge of the product development lifecycle from idea generation to bringing a product to market.
Knowledge of Consumer Product Preferences : Applies understanding of consumer needs to the development of competitively advantaged products, packages, etc.
System Economics : Understanding of our economics and value chain to drive profitable growth and value sharing.
Business Partnerships : Functions as a trusted advisor regarding relevant markets, business strategies, and operating environments to both the business and individual members.
Systems Thinking : Takes a whole systems approach to analyze business issues and implements holistic solutions, ensuring that linkages between structure, people, process, and technology are made.
Storytelling: Prepares, crafts, and delivers a memorable narrative to engage intended audiences.
Negotiations: Engages in discussion to reach agreements with stakeholders, reconciles differences, and generates outcomes in accordance with the strategic priorities.
Influencing: Affects the behavior of others in a particular direction, leveraging key tactics that involve, connect, and inspire.
Project Management : Demonstrates the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources and activities to achieve specified outcomes within a clearly defined timeframe and standards.
Customer Management Skills : Ability to navigate complex and senior level customer relationships.
Network : Ability to work across the OUs and Global Strategy and Insights networks to bring in best practices, tools, and learnings.
Communication Skills : Ability to communicate complex information and implications both verbally (in interactions with senior customer leaders) and in written presentations, utilizing storytelling techniques to communicate a clear, compelling, and cohesive story.
Analytic Skills : Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data to identify patterns, opportunities, and gaps, and integrate across disparate data sources.
Data & Insights Knowledge : Knowledge and ability to utilize industry and company resources alike.
Market Research Knowledge : Experience working with agencies and leading large bodies of research projects. In addition, ability to present complex research projects and customize findings based on audience (e.g., presentation to leadership vs. to sales account directors).

Responsibilities

Serve as key relationship manager for the customer’s innovation teams including but not limited to Culinary, Menu, Beverage Category; Become deeply embedded in the customer’s innovation processes.
Manage innovation budgets in partnership with local markets.
Lead the creation and execution of product and innovation related custom research in partnership with agency partners and OU experts (BASES, CLT, Brand/Product Fit Research such as Zappi).
Serve as the SME and steward of beverage category and flavor trends (from custom research, flavor houses, syndicated data, trade shows, etc.).
Serve as SME and steward of Competitive Analysis and Trends (competitive beverage brands, restaurants and operators in QSR, CR channels, and plan and facilitate market visits etc.).
Lead development of Innovation Pipeline: Data and Insights on innovation categories Collaboration and Influencing with Customer HQ Menu, Culinary and Beverage Category Seamless integration with marketing, finance, supply chain, R&D, Business Development
Responsibilities include routine interaction with internal division leadership to share product related insights and innovation plans; direct interactions expected with cross-functional teams (e.g., Sales, Finance, Marketing, etc.), Strategy & Insights and Marketing teams, and broader TCCC Community.