Product Development & Innovation Manager

Walker - Atlanta, GA

Full-time - Mid Level

Atlanta, GA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Innovation Manager at Walker & Company will play a pivotal role in developing new products within the Men's grooming category. This position involves leading brainstorming sessions, collaborating with various teams, and transforming consumer insights and trends into innovative product strategies. The manager will oversee the entire product development process from concept to market launch, ensuring that new products meet consumer needs and align with the company's business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Discover and develop novel grooming products that solve for unmet consumer needs, elevate the brand portfolio, build customer loyalty, and drive new household growth.
• Lead the formula research and development and prototyping process to bring innovative concepts to life, working with manufacturers to formulate and develop new products and guiding new items through successful product commercialization to deliver tangible results in the form of incremental sales.
• Align innovation strategy with marketing plans and business objectives.
• Consult functional strategy managers on new product development for assigned categories as an SME and voice of the customer.
• Influence the team as a definitive subject matter expert on consumer behavior and emerging trends, translating insights into recommendations.
• Build a culture of innovation by shaping cross-departmental consumer knowledge through insights into grooming trends, consumer behavior, cultural influences, and ethnic and category-specific trends.
• Follow established programs, policies and practices to produce safe, quality products that meet regulatory and company requirements, accountable to established safety and quality principles.

Requirements

• Six (6) years of experience in beauty/grooming, consumer packaged goods, or innovation industry.
• Bachelor's Degree in data analytics, marketing, anthropology, sensory science, or other relevant field.
• Passion for grooming with a deep understanding of industry trends and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to translate consumer trends into new product concepts aligned with business goals.
• Product development and commercialization experience in grooming, beauty and/or personal care.
• Proficient product development technical and packaging background.
• Strong data analytics skills, including familiarity with analyzing sales data, primary research, and consumer trend insights.
• Willingness to foster a culture of innovation by challenging convention with strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Comfort working with ambiguity and managing complex innovation projects with adaptability and minimal direction.
• Consumer-first mindset with a knack for understanding consumer behavior and motivations.

Nice-to-haves

• 8+ years of experience in grooming/personal care, consumer packaged goods, or the innovation industry.
• Any grooming/personal care brand management, category management, consumer insights, or manufacturing experience.
• Experience in sensory evaluation and describing product attributes.
• Experience leading brainstorming sessions or moderating focus groups.