Senior Manager BU Innovation - Poultry Foodservice

Tyson Sales and Distribution•Springdale, AR

About The Position

The Senior Manager, BU Innovation sets 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, then leads strategically significant and complex initiatives from concept through in-market performance. The Senior Manager influences senior leaders and cross-functional teams, coaches and develops innovation team members, and delivers profit, volume, and share growth for the business and its customers. The role owns and shapes innovation strategy for the Foodservice Value Added Poultry category, aligned with corporate and business unit goals and long-range and annual plans. It identifies white-space opportunities and emerging customer and consumer needs, prioritizes a balanced pipeline across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons, recommends investments, and evaluates performance, ROI, and portfolio health. The Senior Manager leads complex product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives through concept development, feasibility, business proposal, approval, customer sell-in, and in-market performance tracking. The role develops executive-level innovation narratives and recommendations, drives customer co-innovation and strategic partnerships, works with Sales and Channel Marketing to incorporate operator and distributor strategies, and seeks synergies across retail and foodservice. It also directs innovation and consulting agencies and builds external supplier and partner relationships. The position leads, coaches, and develops Managers and Associate Managers; oversees their projects and resolves issues; and advises other Tyson innovators. It uses innovation project management, packaging, and specification systems to advance projects with cross-functional teams.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
At least 6 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 can develop 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.
Must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
A resume is required to be considered.
The requisition is not taking sponsorships.

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.
Identify strategic innovation platforms, white-space opportunities, and emerging customer and consumer needs using syndicated research, trend data, primary research, and competitive intelligence.
Own and prioritize the innovation pipeline across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons, maintaining a balance of renovation, incremental innovation, and breakthrough or new-to-world opportunities.
Establish innovation priorities and make investment recommendations to senior leadership.
Evaluate innovation performance, ROI, and portfolio health, and adjust the pipeline accordingly.
Lead strategically significant and complex product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives from concept and feasibility through business proposal, approval, customer sell-in, and in-market performance tracking.
Influence senior leaders and collaborate with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Finance, Strategy, and other corporate functions to ensure innovation initiatives receive needed focus.
Develop executive-level innovation narratives and recommendations, including consumer positioning and differentiation from competitors.
Drive customer co-innovation and strategic partnerships with Sales and Channel Marketing, integrating operator and distributor strategies into the pipeline, improving forecast accuracy, and delivering against 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.