New Product Marketing Manager

Location: Oxnard,California,United States

Mission Produce is the global leader in the worldwide avocado business, with additional offerings in mangos. Since 1983, we have invested in people, state-of-the-art technology, and avocado-specific and ripening infrastructure to expertly serve our customers, growers, and partners in over 27 countries. We own and operate four packing facilities in multiple global locations including California, Mexico, and Peru. Our global distribution network includes 16 forward distribution centers in North America, China, Europe and the Netherlands, which promote company expansion into new territories and categories. Throughout our history, we have remained rooted in honesty, respect, and loyalty to provide a year-round supply of high-quality fruit from field to fork.

JOB SUMMARY

The New Product Marketing Manager is responsible for leading the creation and enhancement of packaging solutions for our product lines. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure packaging meets specifications, enhances brand visibility, and complies with regulatory standards. Key responsibilities include managing customer-specific requests and researching and ideating around packaging & consumer behavior trends.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the exploration, initiation, design, and development of new packaging formats for retail sell unit and private label packaging, ensuring alignment with brand identity and customer specifications.
• Drive packaging innovation by exploring new materials, formats, and designs to enhance retail presence and consumer engagement.
• Oversee the entire product development lifecycle, from concept initiation to launch, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate with marketing, product development, quality assurance, and supply chain teams to gather insights and refine packaging solutions.
• Collaborate closely with customer-specific teams to manage packaging development and changes, including ensuring timely and accurate submission of information to customer dashboards and websites.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify and assess opportunities for new packaging solutions.
• Incorporate customer feedback and insights into the packaging development process to enhance product offerings and meet consumer needs.
• Manage seasonal packaging programs, AFM, CAC, others, to ensure customer engagement and timely ordering and delivery. Including collaborating with Purchasing and Inventory to confirm relevant film inventory is available and in necessary DC location.
• Lead and manage the stage gate process for new packaging development, ensuring each phase is completed on time and meets quality and performance standards.
• Work with QA to ensure all new packaging labeling complies with relevant food safety and regulatory standards, including verifying certifications and requirements based on specifications and guidelines.
• Coordinate pack testing trials for new packaging formats with suppliers, collaborating with Purchasing and Operations & QA for final selection of packaging material & format.  
• Work with Purchasing for new packaging integration and verification to ensure quality and accuracy.
• Conduct detailed financial analysis to evaluate the feasibility and profitability of new packaging ideas, including cost-benefit analysis and return on investment (ROI) calculations.
• Track and analyze the performance of new packaging/product post-launch to inform future development strategies.
• Provide packaging knowledge as needed by various departments for new retail pack styles that are not currently in use.
• Maintain meticulous attention to detail to ensure project quality and compliance at all stages of development.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Science, Innovation Management, Marketing.
• Minimum 5+ years of relevant experience in new product development &a