Product Manager – Flavors

Kinsa is recruiting for a: Product Manager (Food Ingredients)

Location (either): 

• Chicago, Illinois

• Cincinnati, Ohio

Position Purpose:
The Product Manager is responsible for developing a high-level technical understanding of product offerings (essence and extracts), defining the product vision and value proposition, assessing the marketplace for potential, gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, and working closely with R&D and Sales to deliver winning products.

Must Have:
Successful candidates must have technical and commercialization experience with vanilla, coffee, or tea extracts.

Compensation/Benefits:                                                                     

• $115,000 – $125,000 base salary

• Bonus potential

• Health care and benefits

• 401K with match

• Vacation and Holiday pay

Key Responsibilities and Goals:

• Partners with the R&D, marketing, sales, and technical leaders to develop go-to-market strategies to win in targeted customer segments.

• Build value-propositions for extract and essence use in target segments and applications; Communicate them internally to R&D, commercial and supply chain teams and ensure understanding through training and continued consultation.

• Recommend specific product positioning and work with the category managers and finance in determining the pricing guidance to produce the highest possible long-term market share, sales volume, and profitability. Consult with pricing function to support any adjustments needed due to market variation.

• Drive the continuous assessment of the product line health including identification of non-performing products and recommended (technical, commercial or operational) actions needed to deliver growth. 

• Define and communicate the product line vision in support of the category strategies. Maintain a clear product roadmap aligned to short and long-term business goals.

• Act as the commercial leader for extract & essence projects in the Technical Innovation Pipeline, managing them through the development stages from ideation and assessment through commercialization.

• Evaluate the existing players and competitive offerings in our targeted markets.  Alert the organization to new products and technologies as well as partnership and acquisition opportunities.

Competencies Needed for Success:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Marketing (with strong technical acumen) or Food Science, Chemistry

• Minimum 8 years of commercial experience (sales, marketing, supply chain) in flavor industry, food ingredients or other related industry.

• Experience with extracts, essences, and/or coffee concentrates is extremely desirable.

• Experience with new product development and managing lines across the lifecycle from conception and market launch to obsolescence.

• Experience directing cross-functional teams to oversee profitability of products (existing and newly developed products).

• Budgeting and forecasting experience – expenses and capital requirements for product projects.

• Experience leading cross-functional regional teams, and working directly with customers.

 
Referrals are our best source for the top talent our clients need so if you know of anyone with these skills in the food and beverage industry, please pass me their name and email/phone number, or share this job posting with them. Kinsa pays referral bonuses if someone you refer gets hired by our client!

Check out our other food and beverage industry career opportunities at https://kinsa.com/food-beverage-industry-jobs/
 

Recruiter Information:
Dave Rothe
daver@kinsa.com