Director, Innovation - S&F

Dreaming big is in our DNA. It’s who we are as a company. It’s our culture. It’s our heritage. And more than ever, it’s our future. A future where we’re always looking forward. Always serving up new ways to meet life’s moments. A future where we keep dreaming bigger. We look for people with passion, talent, and curiosity, and provide them with the teammates, resources and opportunities to unleash their full potential. The power we create together – when we combine your strengths with ours – is unstoppable. Are you ready to join a team that dreams as big as you do?

SALARY:  

157,440-$186,960, bonus and long-term incentive eligible

COMPANY:  

We are home to the nation’s most iconic beer and beyond beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA – America’s #1 top-selling beer – as well as Busch Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Cutwater Spirits, and industry-leading craft brands. From our longstanding efforts to support American farmers, military, veterans, and first responders, to emergency drinking water donations and responsible drinking programs, we are guided by our commitment to the communities we call home and the 65,000 hardworking Americans who bring our beer to life. We are powered by a team that shares our passion to create a future with more cheers. Are you ready to join a team that dreams as big as you do? 

ROLE SUMMARY:

We are searching for top talent to join the Innovation Team. Our team is at the heart of the Marketing transformation strategy that drives Anheuser-Busch’s growth agenda. The individual who will excel in this role will ensure continuity across Stage Gate governance, innovation performance tracking, and operating rhythm enablement, supporting cross-functional alignment and leadership decision-making.  

As a Dir., Innovation – Strategy & Finance, you will play a key role in helping invent the Anheuser-Busch Portfolio of the Future. Anheuser-Busch has a best-in-class innovation approach, which comes to life through effective planning, process governance and performance analysis. This role will partner closely with cross functional partners across commercial, supply, and finance to drive the team’s collaborative operating rhythms that provide structure and validation for new product launches. In addition, this role will help identify opportunities to fuel our long-term pipeline development by tracking market signals. 

Earn Their Cheers! The ideal candidate will excel in cross-functional collaboration, planning the innovation business cycle, facilitating monthly innovation review cycles, and leading performance tracking to identify learnings from our launches. A passion for driving strategic planning and process around our innovation pipeline is essential.
 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support Innovation Business Cycle through Planning

Build and manage business cycle and development timelines to ensure

on‑time product launches and retail commercialization.

• Stage Gate Governance & Program Management
  Lead the monthly innovation review cycle, ensuring innovation guideline compliance and driving critical conversations and decision-making during monthly Committee meeting.

• Innovation Performance Tracking & Analytics
  Lead regular performance reporting routines, developing and enhancing innovation performance dashboards and reports. Analyze data for impact to brand trajectory, identifying key trends and implications, and synthesizing key insights for audiences from innovation team up to senior leadership.

• Team Budgeting and Finance
  Work with team finance support to lead budget planning, tracking and program execution.

• Cross-Functional Partnership
  Collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams — including Brand, Supply, Insights, Planning, Performance Management, and Marketing/Sales leadership — to drive alignment and business impact.

• Strategic Opportunity Mapping
  Identify whitespace opportunities and emerging trends that drive brand growth, including shifts in consumer attitudes, behaviors, consumption occasions, and macro dynamics. Champion the consumer at the heart of the innovation strategy, leading packaging and product development through iterative learning and testing.

• Collaborative Execution
  Thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Influence across key partner groups and manage complex workstreams with strong attention to detail, organization, and prioritization.

QUALIF