Summary: Provide strategic thinking and team leadership in development and implementation of product level categories, including identifying strategic direction for brand, pipeline innovation testing and validation, and support for system-wide launch and sustainability.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Create and execute overall strategic plan and direction for identified categories
• Develop and sell-in an annual business plan, focusing on category innovation and consumer communication, with on-going benchmarking against the plan with recommended adjustments accordingly
• Responsible for on-going sustained growth for product categories, both in dollars and actual unit growth
• Identify and coordinate product level research and consumer validation with Consumer Insights. Ability to use both syndicated and proprietary research to develop holistic view of situation is essential
• Identify menu gaps and areas of opportunity for the brand in terms of product innovation as it relates to responsible categories
• Create and facilitate business case for product level development, including on-going updating of data and progress throughout the validation phases
• Lead cross-functional team (Innovation, Ops, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Field Marketing) through testing phase and validation work
• Lead and facilitate innovation process from conception through testing validation
• Create and identify main consumer brand points of difference for product level categories, including product positioning and communication hierarchy. Work closely with Creative Services department to create seamless communication between brand, agency partners and consumer.
• Write and communicate product strategic briefs for internal use in developing consumer advertising, marketing collateral and internal “reasons to believe”.
• Develop and maintain strong peer relationships cross-functionally
• Other duties assigned as needed.
• Travel 20%-33%
Qualifications:
Bachelors’ degree required, preferably in Marketing, Business Administration, or Advertising.
Professional Experience: 5-7 years’ experience in brand/product management in food service, preferably in a QSR or fast-casual environment. Experience in using combination of both mass (TV, radio, print) and targeted mediums (direct mail, Internet) and promotions is a plus, but not a necessity.