Associate Marketing Manager, Innovation

Position title: Associate Marketing Manager, Innovations

Location: Mississauga, Ontario

The Hershey Company:

Your career. Your ownership. Together, we’ll make more Moments of Goodness.

Hershey employees get to make real, impactful changes daily. We are looking for thinkers, leaders and challengers – people who initiate and make a true impact. Here at Hershey Canada, we strike the perfect balance between autonomy and support. Our managers are equipped to foster your career aspirations and empower your growth. With resources like e-learning, coaching, cross-functional projects, your personal and professional growth is paramount to the team. Hershey’s people-focused mindset is what makes our culture so sweet.

Major Canada brands include OH HENRY! HERSHEY’S KISSES, BROOKSIDE, POT OF GOLD, JOLLY RANCHER, REESE’S, TWIZZLERS, HERSHEY’S, SKOR, CHIPITS and ICEBREAKERS.

Hershey Canada is proud of our position as Forbes Canada’s Top Employer. We’ve been recognized as a Greater Toronto Top Employer’s for the 5th consecutive year. We’ve also been named as a Great Place to Work for 2024 - 2025!

At The Hershey Company, we're committed to making a difference in the communities where we live, work and do business. This commitment dates from the earliest years of our company and is a vital part both of our heritage and of who we are today.

About the role:

The Associate Manager, Innovation is responsible for executing the innovation agenda across Hershey Canada’s brand portfolio. This role is central to identifying and unlocking growth opportunities through consumer-centric innovation, from insight to commercialization. The ideal candidate brings a blend of creative thinking, business acumen, and project leadership to build a robust innovation pipeline that delivers both short-term wins and long-term brand equity.

This individual will lead key innovation projects leveraging deep consumer insights, market trends, and competitive intelligence to shape breakthrough ideas and new product concepts. They will guide cross-functional teams through the innovation process—from ideation and business case development to launch planning and post-launch tracking—ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and operational feasibility.

Accountabilities:

Top 5 Core Responsibilities / Outcomes Expected

1. Keen understanding of consumer behavior, trends and the competitive landscape and translation to actions
2. Strong cross-functional collaborator
3. Lead key research (concepts, CLT)
4. Lead projects through the Gate process
5. Governance process owner 

Other Applicable Scope Defining Dimensions:

• Innovation Reporting
• Developing robust launch strategy and execution plans against them
• Elevating Hershey capabilities in innovation via thought leadership and training
• Strong connectivity with cross-functional teams, international teams and management

Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Solid foundational marketing training in top tier CPG (Innovation experience not required but preferred)
• Proficient with Nielsen, Project Management Software & PowerBI
• Ability to think creatively to develop breakthrough ideas, approaches and strategies
• Dynamic, high energy, curious and resilient individual
• Results and solutions oriented with strong analytical ability
• Demonstrated ability to interact with cross functional departments, including Sales, Category Development, Finance, Operations, Research and Development, and Consumer Insights and Research

Experience and Education:

• B. Comm. with Marketing major preferred
• 2-3 years or more in consumer-packaged goods - brand marketing a necessity
• Experience with innovation and marketing essentials (brand reviews, brand plans, Integrated Marketing Communications process, formula/packaging development)
• Experience with ground up innovation (insight to idea to commercialization to in-market) preferred, not required

Benefits and Perks of Working at Hershey Canada:

• Of course… exposure to some of the finest chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products

• Health and Wellness Reimbursement program as well as other great employee benefits

• Corporate social responsibility programs - because we should leave the world a little better than we found it

• Fantastic reward and recognition programs

• Flexible Work Environment

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $67,840 to $106,000 per year.  The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training.  In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance‑based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well‑being (as applicable).