ASSOCIATE BRAND MANAGER, INNOVATION (HYBRID-REMOTE) at Kent Pet Group in Muscatine, Iowa

Job Description:

KENT® Pet Group is looking for a curious, entrepreneurial and creative self-starter who loves the challenge of creating innovations that fulfill consumer needs and build our brands within the fast growing Pet Care Category! As the Associate Brand Manager of Innovation, you will be a key part of the Marketing team that is defining the future of KENT Pet Group brands through innovations that help deliver an Ideal User Experience. Are you ready to join a US Best Managed Company?!

KENT Pet Group is a leader in premium high performance pet products and is the manufacturer and marketer of World’s Best Cat Litter™, the largest and fastest growing natural & sustainable cat litter, Breeders Choice™ the #1 Cat Litter in Australia and Back-2-Nature™, the leading small animal paper bedding brand in the UK.  

• This position is eligible for a hybrid remote work arrangement at the discretion of the hiring manager and applicant qualifications (50% in office/50% remote). The successful candidate must be within a 1 day commutable distance to Muscatine, IA.  

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Continuously look for consumer and market data and insights to identify white spaces as well as opportunities to fulfill users unmet needs and competitive gaps.


• Transform those insights and trends into innovation ideas/projects which you will drive from end to end (Ideation, Development, up to Commercialization within Stage Gate process).


• Lead cross-functional teams to create, test and develop ideas that meet brand and business goals set for the project (Success Criteria).


• Demonstrate a growth mindset by building strong business propositions and selling ideas internally.


• Help create and maintain an innovation pipeline that is balanced across complexity, risk, resources, and meets key commercialization timelines.


• Partner with Brand, Finance, Operations, R&D, Sales and other cross-functional resources to help ensure solutions can be commercialized at scale and meet project objectives.


• Ability to leverage consumer insights and market trends and connect the dots to create innovations from concept to commercialization.


• Work closely and collaboratively with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, create, test, develop ideas and products, build innovation roadmaps, strengthen our innovation pipeline, and support your proposals with business cases.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Skilled in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Products


• 2+ years of experience in Innovation (New Product Ideation and Development) in a consumer packaged goods space.


• Familiarity with syndicated and custom market data is desired.


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  Must be an excellent communicator and team player with the ability to enroll others in a vision and champion long-term plans and priorities effectively.

  
  

EDUCATION:

• BA/BS in Marketing, Business, Industrial Design or related area. An MBA is preferred.

TRAVEL:

• 15-20% if needed

See job description