Sr. Manager, Innovation- Strategic Demand KIND

Mars•Chicago, IL

7d•$134,400 - $184,800

About The Position

As the Senior Manager, Strategic Demand Leadership (SDL) – Innovation, you will sit at the dynamic intersection of commercial strategy, customer collaboration, and marketplace execution. Managing a portfolio scope of up to $800M NSV, you will serve as the strategic bridge between R&D, Innovation Marketing, Revenue Growth Management, and Sales—turning bold product concepts into commercially viable, market-leading launches. In this high-visibility role, you will champion the voice of the customer and shopper across omni-channel environments, crafting winning go-to-market strategies that drive trial, expand distribution, and secure sustainable profitability. If you are a collaborative leader with a consultant mindset who thrives on moving seamlessly between high-level vision and tactical execution, this role offers an exceptional platform to make a lasting commercial impact.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience in CPG marketing, innovation, commercial strategy, category management, or demand planning.
Proven track record leading the commercialization and launch of new products within a fast-paced CPG environment.
Deep understanding of innovation pipelines, customer activation, and omni-channel commercial execution.
Consultant-style analytical toolkit with strong structured problem-solving skills and agility across strategy and execution.
Demonstrated experience building customer-centric growth plans, AMPS strategies, and promotional plans.
Proven ability to influence, align, and lead multi-disciplinary teams without direct authority, backed by exceptional presentation and communication skills.
Strong acumen in analyzing market performance metrics (velocity, distribution, trial/repeat) to extract actionable insights.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Strategic Revenue Management (SRM) / Revenue Growth Management principles.

Responsibilities

Partner closely with Innovation Marketing, Consumer Insights, and R&D to identify consumer needs, whitespace opportunities, and category trends, shaping pipelines and commercialization strategies that deliver meaningful growth.
Develop and execute omni-channel launch strategies that maximize awareness, trial, and sustainable adoption, ensuring selling stories and launch tactics are optimized across key customers.
Drive the annual sales strategy to deliver net sales and operating profit goals, proactively identifying risks and opportunities across go-to-market channels to balance the business.
Own the AMPS strategy (Availability, Merchandising, Pricing, Space), serving as the voice of the customer to co-create pack and channel solutions with cross-functional partners.
Maintain continuous intelligence on industry trends, shopper behaviors, and competitor actions to ensure innovation pipelines remain differentiated and commercially relevant.
Track and evaluate innovation health throughout the lifecycle (sales, velocity, distribution, repeat, financial ROI) and translate post-launch learnings into future programs.
Collaborate with Sales, Demand Planning, and Finance to translate market trends into reliable demand signals and accurate launch forecasts.
Drive volume, share, and profit results that contribute to divisional financial targets while managing marketing budgets to ensure expected return on investment.