Director, Product Strategy And Innovation (“dps”)

The Role

The Director, Product Strategy and Innovation (“DPS”) will be tasked with the development, execution, and implementation of the product development and innovation strategy for select existing MRO product platforms (e.g., Multivitamins, Probiotics, Kids, Beauty from Within, etc) and for disruptive innovation in 1-2 new platform ideas (e.g., hydration, greens, healthy snacking). The DPS has “turnkey” responsibility for the product strategy in these areas, including new product innovation, channel variation, and product lifecycle management. This role is a full-time (40 hr/wk) paid, salary-exempt, fully-remote position reporting to the EVP, Product Development & Innovation (“PDI”); direct reports may include current PDI Project Managers or Formulators.. The salary range for this role is $150,000-$200,000 USD/year.

Responsibilities

• Category Insights – Monitor key sales, consumer, competitor, function, claim, and ingredient trends in assigned product areas.

• Category Product Strategy – Set the overall product strategy in the assigned product areas, including how the current assortment should be optimized and prioritized for new item innovation.

  • Includes creating channel-specific product variants to manage channel conflict (e.g., across DTC, Amazon, Natural, and FDM).
  • Includes working with Retail and DTC to support select partner-specific innovation (e.g., for Whole Foods Market).

• Innovation Leadership – Manage the innovation process for the assigned product areas, including new project ideation, creating innovation briefs, securing resources via the New Product Steering Committee, and managing execution of NPD projects.

• Launch Planning – Work with the DTC, Retail, and Marketing teams to plan new product launches

• Performance Monitoring – Track the sales results of assigned product areas (including new innovation);  present performance to the LT and adjust strategies as needed.

• Product Lifecycle Management – Take ownership of the maturation and eventual discontinuation of items; work with DTC & Retail to plan item exits and any required swaps to hold distribution.

• Category Insights – Leverage syndicated data, competitive intelligence, and channel insights to assess the attractiveness of potential new product categories for an MRO offering.

• Ideation – Lead the process of creating product ideas and applying both market and consumer testing to determine the winning concepts and ideas.

• Business Cases – Develop high-level business cases that support the viability of the new platform in terms of market sizing, consumer acceptance, competitive differentiation, and financial performance; used to justify new platform project approval and resource investment.

• Some travel (<20%) may be required on an as-needed basis, with advance notice provided to the employee.

Qualifications

• ~10+ years of demonstrated experience with innovation in VMS (preferred) OR equivalent experience with other nearby Health & Wellness categories (e.g., OTC, beauty, nutrition).

• Demonstrated experience in category management and/or creating category strategies, including the ability to segment products/consumers, assess competitive strengths/weaknesses, and identify gaps in the marketplace.

• Critical thinking skills needed to assess marketplace opportunities and determine if the MRO brand and products have the ‘right to win’ against existing and emerging competition.

• Curiosity and drive towards determining the unmet needs of MaryRuth’s VMS consumers; a desire to stay on top of market trends in terms of consumption, ingredients, trends, and competitors.

• Understanding of the general purchasing and new item acceptance criteria of our major channels (e.g., retail, marketplace).

• Ability to use syndicated data and other market research services to analyze the size, trends, and brand performance in VMS sub-categories and other relevant MRO product adjacencies; ~7-10+ years of experience with this data.

• Experience developing high-level business cases that justify why time and resources should be used to support new product development projects.

• Ability to craft strong product/project briefs that outline the parameters for new products and the requirements for success; these briefs will provide the basis for PM and formulator resources to execute projects.

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage cross-functional resources to deliver on new product development and launch projects.

• Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with development partners, including flavor houses, formulation partners, co-mans, and design firms.

• Possession of all financial and P&L knowledge needed to monitor the results of their product portfolios and assess performance against targets.

• Experience with product lifecycle management, with the ability to determine when and how to discontinue/replace existing items.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

• This role involves sitting most of the time, but may also involve moving for brief periods of time.

Benefits Summary

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience.

• Sick time.

• Paid company holidays.

• Flexible vacation.

• Medical, vision, and dental (USA).

• Flexible Spending Account - FSA (USA).

• Company matched (4%) 401k (USA).

• Employee and immediate-family discounts on all products (upon 60 & 90 days of employment).

The Culture at MaryRuth

We are a fast-growing startup with a small, unified team that has a lot of fun and a big drive to change the world through our products. We are primarily an E-commerce, health-conscious company with a focus on creating vegan and organic vitamins and supplements for everyone. 

We believe our work benefits from the diverse perspectives of our employees. As such, MaryRuth celebrates inclusion and is committed to equal opportunity employment. 

MaryRuth is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, hair texture and hairstyles, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.