About the position
Edgewell Personal Care Brands is seeking an Innovation Director for its Grooming Business Unit, a pivotal role that drives the new product development (NPD) strategy. This position is integral to the success of the Grooming portfolio, which includes well-known brands such as Jack Black, Cremo, and Edge. The Innovation Director will oversee the entire NPD process, from ideation based on consumer insights to the final product delivery. This includes generating creative assets for product, packaging, and positioning, managing the Product Development budget, and supporting the annual strategic planning process. The role requires a strategic leader who can effectively collaborate with various teams, including Global Consumer Insights, Sales, Creative, and Operations, to ensure that the innovation strategy aligns with market needs and brand objectives. The Innovation Director will be responsible for identifying consumer insights and making recommendations for new products, ensuring that the unique selling propositions are tailored to meet retailer needs. This role also involves overseeing the P&L for innovation SKUs, maintaining gross margin expectations, and evaluating the feasibility of innovation requests through the NPD Stage Gate process. The director will partner with Brand and Sales Strategy to bring brand purpose to life through innovation and establish a community around the brand's unique offerings. Additionally, the role includes preparing and presenting business plans for new product launches, analyzing post-launch performance, and making necessary adjustments based on metrics and results. This position requires a strong background in product development and marketing within the beauty and skincare segment, with a focus on strategic, multi-channel marketing programs. The ideal candidate will have experience managing teams and working across departments, demonstrating success in planning and achieving goals. The Innovation Director must possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be capable of managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. A strong combination of creative and analytical skills is essential, along with sound financial acumen and the ability to make data-driven decisions. The role may require some travel and the flexibility to work outside traditional business hours.
Responsibilities
- Drive new product development (NPD) strategy for the Grooming Business Unit.
- Support the NPD process from consumer insight ideation to product delivery.
- Generate creative assets for product, packaging, and positioning.
- Manage the Product Development budget and support the annual strategic planning process.
- Lead the Product Development Team for all Grooming Brands, overseeing execution and commercialization.
- Identify consumer insights and make recommendations for new products in partnership with the Global Consumer Insights team.
- Collaborate with Sales to meet retailer needs and construct unique selling propositions.
- Partner with Creative and Operational teams for impactful packaging designs and branding.
- Oversee P&L by innovation SKU and across innovation by brand, ensuring gross margin expectations are met.
- Evaluate feasibility of innovation requests via NPD Stage Gate process and make launch recommendations.
- Prepare and present business plans for new product launches, including forecasts and P&L's.
- Analyze post-launch performance against approval metrics and recommend corrective actions.
- Oversee global brand stewardship and manage the life cycle of the brand, including upgrades.
- Develop an innovation roadmap that converts consumer insights into product opportunities.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree with a concentration in Business or Marketing related discipline.
- 7+ years of relevant work experience in New Product Development, Product Innovation, and Marketing in the beauty/skincare segment.
- Experience creating and leading strategic, multi-channel marketing programs for consumer-packaged goods; luxury products or beauty/skincare is preferred.
- Experience managing Third-Party Manufacturers (TPMs).
- Demonstrated experience managing comprehensive strategic marketing and communications, media relations, and marketing programs.
- Strong leadership skills with experience managing a sizeable team of direct and indirect reports.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate clearly across various levels of the organization.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to make data-driven decisions.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience in Personal Care or Consumer Packaged Goods.
- Experience with multiple creative and media agencies.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for new business.
- Ability to work in a highly collaborative environment.
Benefits
- Competitive salary range of $168,000 - $252,000.
- Participation in an incentive program linked to performance.
