Central Garden & Pet · 6 hours ago
Vice President, Marketing Innovation
Neptune City, NJ
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expCentral Garden & Pet is a company dedicated to nurturing happy and healthy homes for over 40 years. They are seeking a Vice President of Marketing Innovation to lead the strategy, development, and commercialization of product innovations across the Dog & Cat portfolio, while driving cross-functional collaboration and innovation execution excellence.
Home and GardenPet
Responsibilities
Drive the 3–5 year innovation and renovation agenda aligned to consumer trends, category dynamics, and business objectives
Identify whitespace opportunities through insights, market analysis, competitive mapping, and trend forecasting
Partner with senior leadership to prioritize initiatives based on growth potential, feasibility, and strategic fit
Steward the end-to-end NPD process in cross functional partnership from idea generation and concept development through validation, formulation, packaging, and commercialization
Drive cross-functional alignment across R&D, Creative, Blue Sky, Insights, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure successful launches
Establish and oversee stage-gate processes, governance routines, and documentation for innovation projects
Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing innovation marketing team of approximately 6 direct reports across marketing and project management
Foster organizational alignment, clarity, and accountability across departments to ensure timely, on-budget project delivery
Own financial impact for innovation initiatives including revenue, margin, trial, repeat, and velocity targets
Set and manage KPIs for launch performance and ongoing post-launch evaluation
Provide leadership with clear reporting, insights, and strategic recommendations to adjust plans as needed
Qualification
Required
10+ years marketing experience in CPG, with significant ownership of strategic innovation planning and the new product development process
Developed long-term innovation strategies, which have driven incremental revenue
Proven track record launching successful consumer-packaged goods (national or multi-channel) with measurable business impact
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams (R&D, Insights, Sales, Supply Chain, Finance) and managing complex stakeholder matrices
Strong commercial acumen with experience owning P&L or major revenue-driving initiatives; comfortable setting targets and reporting against KPIs
Deep expertise in consumer & shopper insights, concepting, packaging, and go-to-market execution
Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills — experience presenting to senior leadership and retail partners
Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid prioritization, and driving change across the organization
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field; advanced degree (MBA) preferred
Preferred
MBA or equivalent advanced degree
Experience working with e‑commerce channels and digital marketing innovation
Background building innovation processes (stage-gate, rapid prototyping, commercialization)
Experience in sustainable packaging, cost-to-serve optimization, or value-added premiumization strategies
Benefits
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
Free Life and Disability Insurance.
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
401 (k) with a 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution.
Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time.
Employee Assistance Program.
Access to thousands of free online courses.
Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications).
Referral Program with a cash bonus.
Access to on-demand pay.
Paid parental leave.
Company
Central Garden & Pet
Central Garden & Pet is a market leader in the Garden and Pet industries.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknown1993-07-15IPO
Leadership Team
Beth Springer
Lead Independent Director, Board and Former Interim CEO
Niko Lahanas
Chief Executive Officer
Recent News
2025-12-16
MarketScreener
2025-12-16
Company data provided by crunchbase