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Wells Enterprises · 5 months ago

Senior Associate Brand Manager - Innovation

Chicago, IL

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

$104K/yr - $146K/yr

3+ years exp

Wells Enterprises is the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States, known for its iconic brands like Blue Bunny and Halo Top. The Senior Associate Brand Manager, Innovation will identify growth opportunities and lead innovation projects from concept to shelf, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver consumer-driven products that enhance brand profitability.

Food and BeverageFood ProcessingManufacturing

Responsibilities

Lead key innovation projects from concept development through commercialization, including business case development, product positioning, and launch strategy

Partner with Consumer Insights and Category teams to identify emerging trends, unmet needs, and whitespace opportunities

Translate consumer, category, and competitive insights into product concepts with strong brand fit and commercial potential

Collaborate with cross-functional partners (R&D, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain) to drive timely and efficient project execution

Build and manage project timelines, budgets, and internal approval processes

Support annual strategic planning and innovation pipeline development

Monitor in-market performance of new launches and recommend optimizations

Present innovation strategies and project updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders

P&L Management: Demonstrate comfort and fluency with managing a full brand P&L, including understanding key financial levers (e.g., pricing, trade, COGS, advertising) to drive brand profitability and growth

Data Analysis & Insights: Leverage syndicated data sources such as Nielsen, IRI, and other retail measurement tools to analyze category and competitive trends, identify growth opportunities, and inform innovation strategy

Qualification

Brand marketingInnovation managementConsumer insightsP&L managementData analysisCross-functional collaborationCommunication skillsProject management

Required

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field; MBA preferred

3–5 years of experience in CPG, with a focus on brand marketing, innovation, or product development

Strong understanding of consumer and shopper behavior, category dynamics, and market trends to identify and develop growth-driving innovation

Familiarity with the CPG commercialization process—from concept to shelf—is essential

Brand strategy, new product development, and go-to-market planning, with a working knowledge of research methodologies, financial modeling, and cross-functional project management

Strong analytical skills with business acumen to assess market potential and ROI

Experience managing cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders

Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills

Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, matrixed environment

Proven ability to translate insights into action and deliver consumer-relevant innovation