Innovation Product Manager

Joining King’s Hawaiian makes you part of our `ohana (family). We are a family-owned business for over seventy years, respecting our roots while thinking about our future as we continue to grow and care for our customers and the communities we serve. Our `ohana members build an environment of inclusivity as they freely collaborate, pursue learning through curiosity, and explore innovation as critical thinkers. Beyond that, we are also passionate about supporting the long-term health and well-being of our employees and their families. If you’re excited to rise with our team, come and join our `ohana!

Working under general supervision of the Head of Innovation and Commercialization, the Product Innovation Manager will act as a key driver in progressing innovation growth at King’s Hawaiian. As a Product Innovation Manager, you drive products through the end-to-end innovation process from idea discovery through launch. You work intimately with a team of diverse experts from all aspects of the business (chefs, food science, consumer discovery, manufacturing, packaging, etc.) who work together to build and launch new product ideas. Like a crew on a movie set, you bring harmony to ambiguity by organizing and leading projects through the development, learning and launch process. Employees in this position may interact with their leader several times a week to receive guidance and feedback. Some non-routine activities may require their leader’s advance approval, but routine decisions within the general scope of the role may be made independently.

 

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as a key driver in progressing innovation projects and capabilities at KING’S HAWAIIAN®.
• Assess markets and define the strategy, opportunity and objectives for new products recommended for development, test, and launch.
• Formulate and drive the plan, scope, teams, budget & success metrics for new product development and learning plans.
• Mobilize and coordinate diverse project teams (chefs, food scientists, consumer discovery, engineers, packaging engineers, etc.) through the end-to-end development and launch process.
• Drive the creation of P&Ls and paths to healthy margins while working closely with Finance and other key stakeholders.
• Lead the development of business cases to outline the justification and requirements for new product launches.
• Facilitate the decision-making process and account for required approvals of key components, for example, final product formula, packaging, process designs, P&L, etc.
• Team with Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturing to develop and execute launch plans.
• Monitor project progress and hold teams accountable to key activities and timelines.
• Provide insight into project progress and communicate progress and results to leadership.
• Lead multiple projects simultaneously.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of this role.

BASIC AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE)

• Bachelor’s degree and/or higher education in Business Administration preferred.
• 7+ years innovation, product management or other relevant experience.
• Entrepreneurship, strategic consulting, brand management and/or CPG R&D/innovation experience a plus.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (JOB SKILLS, ABILITIES, KNOWLEDGE)

• Expert project management skills.
• Experience using project management software a plus (e.g., MS Project, Asana, Smartsheet, etc.).
• Proficient in data and financial analysis.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Proficient in managing and working with third party companies and consultants.
• Expert ability to muti-task and contribute to projects at the same time.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.
• Ability to activate and amplify aloha via King’s values of excellence, dignity, saying it like it is in a way it can be heard; and curiosity, collaboration, critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

The compensation range for this role is $135,000 to $145,000 plus bonus target.

 

King's Hawaiian is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our ohana.