Think Beyond The Label Jobs

Job Overview

Associate Manager Innovation – Innovation Stage Gate & Brewers

Department: Strategy and Innvoation

Status: Contract (6 months)

Location: Mississauga (Hybrid)

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to Innovation Manager, this role will be the functional expert that will guide brand, technical and supply chain project leads effectively through the innovation process to bring new products to market. As the expert, process ownership and adherence by others to it is key to successful implementation. In addition, identifying opportunities for continuous improvements to help streamline the process and make it more efficient will be central to this position.

This role will also be responsible for managing and implementing innovation projects for the brewers portfolio of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) in Canada. This means supporting launch of new product categories, new platforms and brand extension lines for our Keurig brand.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Snapshot of some of the exciting things you will drive and influence:

Innovation process governance and continuous improvements (65%)

• Champion executional excellence and adherence to KDPs’ New Stage Gate / New Product Introduction 2.0 commercialization process

• Onboard new members of KDP cross functional teams to ensure understanding of NPI process and drive quarterly training program

• Manage regular updates to innovation project tracker for gate status, follow ups from any gate meetings, timing for next gate and gate financials.

• Report progress on gate progression for all innovation projects based on key milestone dates

• Maintain cadence for Innovation cross functional meetings and adherence to project milestones for the Partners & PL businesses

• Plan annual calendar of NPI meetings and workback schedule for key deliverables to present gate documents at those meetings.

• Align with Innovation director on agenda for NPI meeting and which projects are presented live vs MS teams approvals.

• Oversee access and maintenance of NPI sharepoint site to maintain firewalls, update users accordingly and archive all

• Gather documents for pre-read and coordinate with presentation owners to ensure adherence to NPI process/agenda

• Chair NPI committee, send out pre-read/MS teams approvals, record outcomes and share back with project lead any approvals or outcomes.

• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities for NPI process to help drive efficiency and effectiveness.

• Drive these continuous improvement topics and actions across cross-functional teams and ensure adherence across teams

  Brewer Innovations (35%)

• Support all Brewer portfolio innovation projects moving from ideation, concept testing , supply to production

• Play the role of PM, manage the Stage Gate process from start to finish and ensure alignments related to brewer portfolio

• Lead Innovation cross functional meetings & participate in SC OPS meeting for brewers

• Work closely with Supply Chain, Production, Demand Planning, Finance to ensure NPI milestones

• Provide regular innovation updates as part of monthly brand reviews

• Lead post-mortem analysis and partner with cross functional teams to ensure KPI progress is tracked, and results are consolidated for brewers portfolio

• Work closely with US teams project teams, inform on project timelines

• Work closely with consumer insights to conduct concept and panel tests

• Support commercial strategy, RGM, shopper marketing teams with sales decks where necessary

• Support Innovation manager by analyzing consumer, category, sales trends for whitespace opportunity mapping and innovation roadmap

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor`s degree in marketing

• Minimum of 2-4+ years experience in product innovation, and 4-6 years experience preferably in the food, beverage or consumer packaged goods industries

• Strong project management skills and comfortable multi-tasking between different projects

• Self-motivated, results oriented with the ability to lead new projects in fast-paced environment

• Strong collaborative skills to build stakeholder trust across multiple levels and teams

• Strong analytical skills, ability to map consumer, category and market data to arrive at innovation opportunities

  COMPETENCIES

• Proficiency in MS Project; Project management certification is an asset

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.):

• Proficiency in Nielsen (Consumption, Panel, BASES):

Company Overview

Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP) is a modern beverage company with a bold vision built to deliver growth and opportunity. We operate with a differentiated business model and world-class brand portfolio, powered by a talented and engaged team that is anchored in our values. We work with big, exciting beverage brands and the #1 single-serve coffee brewing system in North America at KDP, and we have fun doing it!

Together, we have built a leading beverage company in North America offering hot and cold beverages together at scale. Whatever your area of expertise, at KDP you can be a part of a team that’s proud of its brands, partnerships, innovation, and growth. Will you join us?

We strive to be an employer of choice, providing a culture and opportunities that empower our team of 28,000 employees to grow and develop. We offer robust benefits to support your health and wellness as well as your personal and financial well-being. We also provide employee programs designed to enhance your professional growth and development, while ensuring you feel valued, inspired and appreciated at work.

Keurig Dr Pepper is an equal opportunity employer and affirmatively seeks diversity in its workforce. Keurig Dr Pepper recruits qualified applicants and advances in employment its employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability or association with a person with a disability, medical condition, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.