Job Title

Welcome to Daiya Foods, where we are reimagining comfort foods that are irresistible and better for you. Today, as dairy-free food grows in popularity, that spirit of innovation continues to inspire our team. Our diverse portfolio of great tasting foods invites everyone to the table.Our dedication to minimizing environmental impact extends across our operations. We operate in a manufacturing facility and office that is LEED certified, embodying our commitment to sustainability through the leadership in energy and environmental design principles.Join our team of food-loving Daiyans, where our shared passion, vision, and ability to bring smiles to each other's faces fuel our journey of dairy-free exploration.SUMMARYThe Sr. Manager, Innovation, is a key driver of Daiyas growth agenda. Reporting to the Director of Innovation & Insights, this role owns the end-to-end commercialization of our innovation pipeline - translating high-potential ideas into successful, consumercentric product launches. This leader sets the commercial product agenda, aligns crossfunctional stakeholders around clear priorities, and secures the organizational focus and resources required to win. Daytoday, the Sr. Manager orchestrates crossfunctional delivery with rigor and pace - shaping product development, packaging design, business cases, learning plans, and integrated gotomarket strategies to ensure every launch lands with impact.JOB RESPONSIBILITIESLead the Development of Innovation ProjectsBuild a forwardlooking, multiyear pipeline of businessdriving ideas and projects grounded in consumer insights, category dynamics, and market opportunitiesPartner with Insights & Ideation to translate highpotential concepts into defined projects with clear priorities, success criteria, strategic objectives.Oversee projects through the stagegate process, including establishing the scope of the project, and partnering with Project Management to ensure projects meet key milestones and objectivesLead and influence crossfunctional teams to advance innovation with pace - providing direction on priorities and briefs, simplifying complex problems & making decisions at critical project juncturesManage the learning plan and understand methodologies to deepen consumer understanding and derive new insights, optimize new launches, and validate project action standardsLead the Commercialization & Launch of New Platforms & Products:Oversee commercialization plans, including partnering with Sales team to develop winning strategies at the customer level and category levelParter with Insights, Category Management, and Business Development to create compelling sales stories that secure distribution on new launchesServing as key expert/resource for marketing, sales, and customers.Support & participate in development of communications briefs on new launches, ensuring consumer insight and business and marketing objectives are accurately captured and addressed through integrated communication plan developmentDeliver Business ResultsDevelop and manage a pipeline of projects that delivers against Innovation growth targets while strengthening brand equity and overall business performance.Own the P&L for new launches, ensuring projects meet financial criteria for commercializationManage the innovation budget with discipline - partnering closely with suppliers and internal teams to deliver learning plans on time & on budget.Leadership & DevelopmentResponsible for the leadership and development of 1 direct reportLead & Inspire the Marketing department in delivering high performance, as a member of the Senior Marketing Leadership teamAct as a steward for the Daiya brand and positively impact Daiyas reputation directly with external partners, such as key retailers, buyers, brokers, and suppliersEDUCATION & EXPERIENCEBachelors degree in Business; MBA strongly preferred.Minimum 15+ years of progressive experience across brand management, innovation, product development, marketing, or general management, with a track record of delivering commercially successful launches and leading crossfunctional teams.Demonstrated success launching new products into market, ideally within food & beverage or consumerfacing categoriesExperience leading crossfunctional teams and projects from inception to completionStrong understanding of Stage Gate or other structured innovation processesFamiliarity with consumer insights & research methodologiesRELATED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIESStrategic Thought Leadership: Unconstrained thinking & Ability to see the big picture; You leverage your deep understanding of the marketplace, consumer, and customer dynamics to connect dots across disparate data points, and define clear innovation roadmaps that align with company objectives.Insights & Analytical Prowess: Interest in, and deep understanding of consumer, customer, and external forces that influence demand; You are adept at developing strategic & sound business cases to support growth initiatives, and can develop learning plans to validate hypotheses and answer critical business questionsExecutional Excellence: Strong project management and organizational skills; ability to juggle multiple priorities in a fastpaced, entrepreneurial environment. You maintain focus, manage timelines and budgets effectively, and deliver on what you promise.ConsumerCentric Mindset: Passionate about understanding consumer needs and behaviors; ability to translate insights into meaningful innovation.Collaborative Leadership: Skilled at building trust, influencing without authority, and working effectively across departments and with external partners. You bring people together to create exceptional outcomes.Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communicator, capable of crafting compelling narratives and presenting ideas with clarity and influence.DAIYAS CORE COMPETENCIESEmotional Intelligence You possess the ability to manage emotions, as well as seek to understand the emotions of others around you.Growth Mindset You find opportunities and possibilities when challenged, embrace continuous learning, and constantly strive to grow and improve.Effective Communication You effectively listen, assess, and adjust your communication to align your intention and impact.Collaboration You work with and through others to create great results for Daiya.Driving Results You take the initiative to find solutions, deliver results, maintain focus, and drive accountability.Service Excellence You understand and serve the needs of others (Daiyans, consumers, and our communities)Daiyas compensation offerings are based on a payforperformance philosophy. The pay range for this position is from$120,000$140,000 annually; the base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on jobrelated knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. At Daiya, investing in our people is a top priority. We believe in building a flexible, hybrid model to make worklife harmony a reality. We strive to build diverse and high performing teams and empower continuous learning to grow and improve ourselves.Flex DaysExtended health benefitsRetirement savings matching programFlexible spending accountFun and creative environmentOnsite fitness studioInspiring and innovative workMaking people and the planet a healthier placeAt Daiya Foods, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment, one in which employees can bring their whole selves to work everyday. We welcome and celebrate differences because we believe a multitude of perspectives fosters innovation and will help us achieve our vision.Daiya Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and prohibits discrimination of any kind. We are committed to building a representative workforce and encourage applications reflecting diversity of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization or ancestry, disability, religion, marital or family status, age and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. We endeavor to recruit, develop, and retain the best talent from a diverse candidate pool and truly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team members is vital to our success as a company. We trust that in applying for a role with us you value this as well!Daiya Foods humbly acknowledges that the land on which we work, live, and play is the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the TsleilWaututh, Squamish, and Musqueam Nations. This connection to the land is not only a source of inspiration but also a guiding force in our journey towards greater environmental stewardship and community engagement. #J-18808-Ljbffr