Changing the World, One Kibble at a Time

Champion Petfoods is expanding! We are excited to announce we are looking for a Senior Innovation Manager to join our rapidly growing company.

Champion Petfoods is an award-winning pet food crafter with a reputation of trust spanning 35+ years. From our humble beginnings, founded in a small town in Alberta, Canada, Champion – with its ORIJEN® and ACANA® brands – is a key player in the global premium pet food industry. Our purpose, To Earn Pet Lover Trust Every Day so Pets Thrive for a Lifetime, provides the foundation for our highest aspirations as a company. Being a partner to the communities that surround us – and the environment that sustains us – are top priorities.

We would love to hear from you if you are passionate about personal and professional growth and see yourself as a key player contributing to our continued success as an award-winning company.

Here’s the scoop - Summary

This Senior Innovation Manager role will support the Innovation Team.  This role will manage and oversee innovation related strategy and projects which will include market analysis, business case development, packaging development, new product development and other key tasks to support the development and execution of the Innovation Pipeline.  We are looking for an energetic problem solver who can work across multiple teams and workstreams.  This role is an excellent opportunity to exhibit skills in project management, business development, organizational communication, and new product development.

Reporting to the Global Portfolio & Innovation Director, this position will be based out of our corporate head office in Boulder, CO on a hybrid work program.

What a typical day looks like:

Work closely with Insights team and research partners to uncover key trends and needs to help shape the short and long term innovation pipeline and validate/optimize concepts with our consumers. Develop competitive analysis and business cases using data from key sources including Nielsen, Mintel, Stackline, online searches, and other internal / external data resources. Track the progress of key projects and communicate timeline status to key stakeholders. Provide brand and design feedback to creative team and oversee the development of new packaging or updated packaging. Partner with Finance to provide relevant information for costing and pricing purposes to deliver sales and profit targets. Establish a working knowledge of pet food industry regulatory and legal issues and ensure all aspects are taken in account during the scoping and validation of communication and new products. Exhibit project management leadership to push projects over the finish line with sound planning and alignment of resources toward common outcome; on time and on budget. Complete other duties as assigned. Examples include competitive reviews, supporting other marketing team members, and more. As a lean organization, all Champion team members need to have a roll up the sleeves and support the team mentality. Pivot when needed among projects and sometimes with changing direction. Comfort with ambiguity in a fast growth environment is essential. 

What are we looking for?

10 years’ Marketing / Innovation experience Preferred experience in Multinational CPG company Analytics experience preferred Prior experience pulling and analyzing syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI, Spins). Passion for a career-path in Marketing. Post-secondary education preferred but not necessary. Thorough knowledge of marketing terminology and processes. Fluent in English, both written and spoken. Proficient in the use of MS Office Suite. The Senior Manager, Innovation should demonstrate competence in the following: Communicate Effectively – speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manger using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques. Foster Teamwork – work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, and track details/data/information/activities. Organize – set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities. Plan – Determine strategies to move projects forward, set goals, create and implement action plans, and evaluate the process and results. Solve Problems – Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions and make recommendations to resolve the problem. Creativity – Ability to push thinking into new areas and get in the mind of the consumer to reveal new innovation opportunities Occasional travel may be required

What can you expect from Champion?

Safety: a strong commitment to ensure all people are provided with a safe, healthy and respectful environment. Earnings: $125,000-$150,000 annual salary, annual bonus eligibility, 401k with company matching. Industry Competitive Benefits: Medical, dental, vision and employee assistance programs to meet your individual or family needs. Continuing Education: In house & online learning & development, as well as an education assistance program. Quality: a dedication to uphold the highest standards of authenticity, nutritional integrity, and food safety, to earn the trust of Pet Lovers everywhere. Other Perks: Free bag of premium pet food each month.

What are you waiting for? Join the pack!

Come as you are.

We value diversity in all forms and know the power it can bring. Workplace equality allows for creative ideas to bloom, diverse points of views to be heard, and increases overall happiness. That sounds pretty good to us.

Champion is an equal opportunity employer. Regardless of your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, or any other creed, you are wanted here.