Senior Brand Manager (Candy Innovation)

Responsibilities • The Senior Brand Manager, Candy Innovation, will lead the innovation strategy and pipeline development, management, and execution for Candy • Candy is a growing category with strong future potential and innovation is a critical driver of category growth • This leader will manage cross-functional project teams to ensure the ideation, development, and launch of successful innovations • This role involves driving recommendations and decisions while ensuring alignment among senior managers from various functions, including R&D, Manufacturing, Procurement, Consumer Insights, and Product Change Managers • Leverage existing Candy and snacking trends, identify new ones, and lead the US Candy strategy • Own the Candy innovation strategy and pipeline, including Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish • Identify new growth opportunities and translate them into successful product bundles • Lead innovation projects from ideation through to post-launch analysis, ensuring maximum success potential • Champion Innovation Excellence and best practices within Mondelez • Manage and develop 1 direct report • Support Growth Ambitions: Drive Candy strategy and growth objectives by identifying new growth opportunities in Candy, leveraging market trends, consumer insights, and need-state analyses • Strategic Planning: Develop a clear innovation, renovation, and portfolio strategy for Candy, aligning with brand strategies and business goals, while projecting future growth and scaling opportunities to inform long-term strategic decisions • Innovation Pipeline Development: Define and manage the Candy innovation and renovation pipeline, ensuring alignment with category and brand strategies • Lead Innovation Projects: Contribute or lead idea generation, concept development, and qualification, collaborating with cross-functional teams and external partners • Maximize Innovation Impact: Develop and scale innovation bundles, ensuring they meet consumer needs and are aligned with brand strategies, including product concepts, packaging, and pricing • Engage Stakeholders: Foster strong engagement with regional and country stakeholders to maximize the scale of new innovations and integrate local requirements early in the process • Post-Launch Evaluation: Coordinate post-launch evaluations and recommend corrective actions if necessary • Inspire a passion for innovation across the organization and encourage “out of the box” thinking • Demonstrate assertiveness and strong leadership while driving for speed and simplicity • Foster alignment early in the process, aiming for fewer but bigger initiatives • Seek simple, practical solutions and leverage best practices to drive innovation • Capture trends, gather inspiration from competitors, and bring external insights into the organization • Challenge the status quo and advocate for a “Play to Win” mindset Qualifications • Proven experience in developing and marketing product innovations at a cross-country level • Ability to motivate and inspire others • 10+ years of marketing experience • Higher education degree, ideally in Marketing or a related field • Fluency in English • Excellent interpersonal skills • Extensive experience in innovation management • 5+ years of experience in managing cross-functional teams • Strong strategic agility • Experience working with design and innovation agencies • High level of creativity • Results-driven mindset