Product Innovation Manager

At Lakeside Foods and our family of companies, we're committed to providing wholesome foods to enrich people’s lives through food. We are a culture that pursues our vision of growth and innovation with passion, confidence, and commitment. We are strongest together – valuing collaborative contribution, transparency and new ideas to enable change and growth. We are committed to an inclusive and respectful environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance, and there’s a seat at the table for you.

Join Our Innovation-Driven Team at Lakeside Foods!

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for uncovering market opportunities and bringing bold ideas to life? At Lakeside Foods, we’re looking for a Marketing Manager of Innovation to lead the charge in identifying emerging trends, shaping new product categories, and driving growth through insight-led innovation.

Our Marketing Manager of Innovation is a dynamic and strategic role responsible for identifying and analyzing market trends and consumer behaviors to generate actionable insights that drive new category development and can inform overall business strategy.  Building from those insights, the Marketing Manager will champion new category innovation projects from concept, through development, to validation and handoff to Category Management for commercialization.

The candidate will lead cross-functional teams, conduct market and consumer research, and develop business cases to create product platforms that expand our presence into new categories.  This role requires a blend of creativity, strategic thinking, data analysis and strong project management skills to successfully bring new products to market and drive business growth.  

What You'll Get:

At Lakeside Foods, we believe in taking care of our people. That’s why, as part of the Lakeside family, you’ll have a package of affordable benefit choices and resources to choose from that covers your health, well-being, family and future.

While this role is primarily on-site, hybrid work may be considered for the right candidate.

Comprehensive Benefits:

• A choice of three quality affordable healthcare coverage options
• Vision coverage
• Dental coverage
• Health savings account with employer contribution/flexible spending accounts
• Retirement planning including Profit Sharing and 401(k) match
• Company-provided life, AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance
• Generous paid time off including vacation, personal days and holidays

Work-Life Integration:

• Educational & professional development assistance
• Wellness programs and fitness reimbursement
• Dependent scholarship program
• Career growth opportunities
• Internships/apprenticeships
• Friendly office environment
• “Dress for your day” dress cod

What You'll Do:

• Market research and analysis: Monitor and report on consumer trends and market dynamics to identify potential gaps and opportunities for new category expansion.
• New category pipeline: Based on market research findings, develop concepts and business cases that diversify our portfolio offerings consistent with company strengths.
• Project management: Lead cross-functional, new product teams inclusive of R&D, Accounting, Quality, Operations, Engineering and Supply Chain. Collaborate with R&D teams to translate product concepts into tangible products, including ingredient selection, formulation, and packaging design. Shepherd projects through the stage-gate process, taking full accountability for the overall business case, including P&L.
• Strategic planning: Collaborate with the VP of Marketing to leverage insights, fostering dialogue around market trends that influence overall company strategy.

What You'll Bring:

• BA/BS required; MBA strongly preferred, with minimum 5 years Marketing/NPD experience in the food/beverage industry.  
• Experience in championing new category innovation projects from concept, through development, to validation and handoff to Category Management for commercialization.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis tools and techniques.
• Proven ability to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.
• Excellent presentation, communication and collaboration skills to work cross-functionally with R&D, sales, accounting and other teams.
• Experience in the food industry, particularly within private label CPG is a plus.
• Knowledge of product development processes and regulatory requirements.
• Familiarity with common consumer marketing research tools and techniques.

Where You’ll Work:

WELCOME TO MANITOWOC

Thousands of visitors are drawn here each year to explore the USS Cobia World War II submarine, tour Rogers Street Fishing Village to view relics of famous shipwrecks, or sail across Lake Michigan on the S. S. Badger. We love company and invite you to explore 20 miles of spectacular Lake Michigan shoreline. From the pristine coastline with its stunning parks and beaches and marinas, to historic downtowns and outdoor band concerts, Manitowoc-Two Rivers is a maritime treasure to visit as well as a wonderful place to work and live.

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Lakeside Foods and our family of companies welcomes people of all backgrounds and the varied ideas they bring to the workplace. Being an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer is part of our heritage and culture. We recruit, hire and promote employees based on qualifications and merit, without regard to race, religion, age, gender, disability, marital or veteran status. Lakeside Foods participates in E-Verify.

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