Associate Manager, Portfolio Innovation THX

Job Title: Associate Manager, Portfolio Innovation THX

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Summary:

The Associate Manager has responsibility for specific projects and activities to drive commercial growth. This Associate must be a strong leader of people in cross-functional assignments as he/she plays a leadership role throughout the organization, coordinating with other functional areas to ensure necessary actions occur in support of his/her marketing position. This position plays a leadership and/or project management role with external suppliers such as marketing agencies, co-manufacturers, co-packers, external vendors, etc.

This position requires strong analytical skills as well as an ability to translate analysis on the business into recommended programs affecting all major marketing variables. These marketing variables include new products, portfolio changes, pricing, promotion, retail storytelling, omnichannel store merchandising, content development and other key programs that could affect the short- and long-term business goals for The Hershey’s Experience. This role requires a keen view of the external environment including general trends impacting the business, competitive assessments, and an understanding of both consumers and customers.

The individual in this position supports the development of strategic, consumer-based innovation initiatives for THX. This individual will support strategy development and help address trends/unmet consumer needs and brand white-space opportunities to achieve innovation growth and profit targets. This includes the identification and assessment of strategic opportunity areas and development of new initiatives, from discovery and ideation, through to commercialization assumptions using THX Innovation processes.

 Responsibilities:

• Innovation Development – THX.  Develops and implements end-to-end portfolio and innovation plans, including 3-year pipeline, using category / consumer insights (Omnichannel)
• Portfolio Planning - THX.  Partners with the Portfolio Manager and team to define the baseline assortment strategy. Proposes, implements, and monitors retail assortments leveraging our unique and exclusive every day and seasonal stories
• Story Development – THX.  Manages development and communication of THX exclusive stories (Everyday and Seasonal). The role builds story templates, manages agencies to define creative messaging used for content development, defines portfolio offer, and leads cross-functional collaboration to communicate and ensure in-store execution 
• Manages the communication flow of new product and assortment planning information across THX cross-functional partners aligned with Gate calendar. Supports presentation development for meetings, including gate presentations, category reviews, competitive analysis, national launch communications, etc. Partners cross- functionally to scope and explore infrastructure to support the innovation plan
• Partnership with consumer insights to support strategy development through identification of white-space opportunities and analysis of trends/unmet consumer needs
• Partners with the Supply Chain team to build capabilities that support the growth plan.
• Lead connectivity with The Hershey Company core business to inform strategic planning for THX around Brand, Promotion, Seasons and Packtype
• of activities inside and outside the company that will result in successful implementation of marketing plans
• Capability Building / Business Presentations / Project Management
• Analysis of the business results or directing such analysis
• Deep knowledge of the commercial, operational, and financial dimensions of the business
• Personal training and development

  Qualifications:

Education:

• BS required; MBA required externally; Internal Hershey experience in lieu of MBA

Experience/ Skills:

• At least 3 years of related work experience
• Previous project management experience with proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment
• Previous P&L exposure preferred
• Experience with Nielsen and/or IRI is preferred
• Superior leadership skills
• Overall business knowledge and holistic general management approach
• Superior strategic thinking and planning
• Outstanding analytical abilities
• Ability to nurture and contribute to innovation and creative solutions in a fast moving and ambiguous environment
• Demonstrated ability to be accountable for sales, income, and profit results
• Strong verbal and written communicator to a wide breadth of audiences including senior management
• State-of-the-art functional marketing expertise in some, if not all, areas of marketing
• Economic value creation mindset
• Lifelong learner with potential to be a strong people developer

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