Job Title

We are seeking an exciting new Senior Innovation Manager accountable for building an insight-driven innovation pipeline of consumer-focused commercial brands and products in the LACM region, with a primary focus on Mexico. The successful candidate will be naturally curious, constantly exploring the market, staying up to date on trends, and uncovering opportunities by observing what is selling, what consumers are responding to, and where gaps exist. They will work closely with agencies, consumer research teams, and internal stakeholders to turn observations into actionable brand concepts, leading projects from ideation to in-market testing and adoption. A Taste of What You'll Do: Market Curiosity & Insight Gathering Maintain a constant pulse on the market, regularly visiting trade channels, retailers, and events to see what brands are performing and how consumers are engaging. Build a deep understanding of category dynamics — including brands, trends, consumer behaviors, distributor and retailer perspectives — to identify gaps and opportunities. Partner with Insights teams and local experts to define target audiences and develop empathy for consumers through direct interaction, research, and field immersion. Gather and synthesize learnings from competitive activity, consumer feedback, and market performance to inspire new brand concepts. Establish a network of external partners for ideation, naming, packaging development, innovation collaboration, and benchmarking. Brand Development & Execution Collaborate with the Director, Innovation INTL to develop and own new brand charters. Apply disciplined brand development principles from charter creation to brand conception, in-market testing, and consumer adoption. Partner with Creative teams and agencies to generate brand identities, creative territories, packaging concepts, and naming ideas informed by market insights. Create product briefs based on consumer needs, refining them with stakeholder input and ensuring alignment between brand concept and liquid/product fit. Engage product development, winemaking, and winegrowing teams early to ensure cohesive product vision. Iterate brand propositions based on in-market learning and consumer testing, making adjustments to overcome barriers and optimize success. Research & Learning Integration Work with Insights Leads to develop research objectives that generate compelling, actionable insights. Translate consumer and category learning into clear problem statements and feasible go-to-market recommendations. Partner with Sales and Marketing to identify gaps in consumer or product understanding and build plans to address them. Measure test market performance for new brands, iterating based on results. Project & Financial Management Manage complex innovation projects, ensuring timelines and milestones are met while maintaining quality standards. Own the financial model for each project and optimize throughout the development and go-to-market process. Manage Brand Development and A&P budgets. Maintain knowledge of production, compliance, and go-to-market capabilities to ensure feasibility. Provide regular progress updates to International Process Owner, BU leadership, and stakeholders. Leadership & Collaboration Lead cross-functional teams through brand execution, fostering collaboration and alignment. Attract, develop, and retain high-quality professionals; manage and train direct reports. Represent new brands in leadership forums and cross-functional meetings. Participate in agile processes and meetings to drive innovation efficiency. What You Will Need: Bachelor’s degree plus 8 years of new brand development, communications strategy, marketing, new product development or project management experience reflecting increasing levels of responsibility; OR Bachelor’s degree plus 7 years of Gallo new brand development or marketing innovation experience reflecting increasing levels of responsibility; OR Master’s degree plus 6 years of new brand development, communications strategy, marketing, new product development or project management experience reflecting increasing levels of responsibility; OR OR Master's degree plus 5 years of Gallo new brand development or marketing innovation experience reflecting increasing levels of responsibility; OR High school diploma or State-issued equivalency certificate plus 12 years of new brand development, communications strategy, marketing or new product development experience reflecting increasing levels of responsibility. Experience working for a Multi-National Corporation. Strong understanding of the following areas: wine industry, consumer insights, go-to-market dynamics, 3 tier distribution and corresponding channels. Supervisory/managerial experience. Proficient in English & Spanish Strong understanding of Pricing & Promotion. Skilled in the use of MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, IRI, Spectra, SAP and Flex Reporting. Experience working directly to influence all levels of management. Required to travel up to 50% of the time. Candidate is required to have a valid driver’s license, a safe driving record and reliable vehicle (if applicable) at the time of hire. This position will undergo a motor vehicle check (MVR) to confirm a history of safe and responsible driving. If needed, candidate must obtain the appropriate state driver’s license based on the position’s location within 30 days of hire. How You'll Stand Out: Wine industry knowledge. Prior CPG or Beverage industry experience. Experience writing project charters and leading project teams. Experience training and developing junior level brand marketers in executing brand and organizational objectives. Experience managing business operations and leveraging basic finance and accounting principles. You can view a full copy of the job description here.