Senior Manager BU Innovation - Poultry Foodservice

Tyson Foods, Inc.•Springdale, AR

About The Position

The Senior Manager, BU Innovation sets the innovation direction for assigned brands and categories and is accountable for the quality, balance, and business impact of the innovation pipeline. The role translates category strategy, customer needs, market trends, and business objectives into prioritized innovation platforms and investment recommendations, and leads strategically significant and complex initiatives from concept through in-market performance. The Senior Manager influences leaders across the business unit and functions including Channel Marketing, R&D, Culinary, Insights, Supply Chain/Operations, Finance, and Strategy; develops innovation team members; and delivers profit, volume, and share growth for the business and its customers. The role owns innovation strategy for the Foodservice Value Added Poultry category, identifies opportunities and emerging needs, prioritizes a balanced pipeline, and evaluates portfolio performance and return on investment. It leads major product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives, drives customer co-innovation and partnerships, and develops executive-level recommendations and consumer positioning. The position also coaches innovation managers, oversees direct reports' projects, and uses innovation project management, packaging, and specification systems to advance cross-functional work.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Minimum 6 plus years of experience.
Deep understanding of innovation success factors, innovation marketing, consumer insights, brand strategy, and P&L management.
Forward-thinking problem solver and proven collaborator who challenges the status quo to support strategic decisions and develops strong solutions in unstructured situations.
Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment and lead cross-functional teams and direct reports.
Willingness and ability to perform the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and shape innovation strategy for the Foodservice Value Added Poultry category in alignment with corporate and business unit goals and long-range and annual plans.
Define strategic innovation platforms and identify white-space opportunities and emerging customer and consumer needs using research, trend data, and competitive intelligence.
Own and prioritize the innovation pipeline across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons, balancing renovation, incremental innovation, and breakthrough or new-to-world opportunities.
Establish innovation priorities and make investment recommendations to senior leadership.
Evaluate innovation performance, return on investment, and portfolio health, and adjust the pipeline accordingly.
Lead strategically significant and complex product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives from concept development and feasibility through proposals, approvals, customer sell-in, and in-market performance tracking.
Influence senior leaders and liaise with corporate functions to ensure innovation initiatives receive appropriate focus.
Develop executive-level innovation narratives and recommendations, including consumer positioning and competitive differentiation.
Drive customer co-innovation and strategic partnerships with Sales and Channel Marketing, integrating operator and distributor strategies into the pipeline, improving forecast accuracy, and supporting joint business plan objectives.
Leverage synergies across retail and foodservice channels to maximize idea scale.
Direct innovation and consulting agencies and build relationships with external suppliers and partners.
Lead, coach, and develop Managers and Associate Managers, building innovation capability across the organization.
Oversee direct reports' projects to keep them on time and on track, and resolve issues as they arise.
Serve as an expert and advisor to other Tyson innovators.
Use innovation project management, packaging, and specification systems to advance projects with cross-functional teams.
Demonstrate responsible use of approved AI tools, safeguard sensitive information, follow company policies, critically evaluate AI outputs, and apply professional judgment; as a people leader, drive responsible AI adoption and accountability for AI-supported outcomes.
Perform the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.