Lead, OwnBrands Innovation

Lead - OwnBrands Innovation

At SpartanNash, we deliver the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation. We do this for our supply chain customers and U.S. military commissaries, retail store guests and, most importantly, our Associates. In fact, we see a day when each will say, I can't live without them.

Our SpartanNash family of Associates is 20,000 strong, ranging from bakery managers to order selectors; from IT developers to vice presidents of finance; from HR Business Partners to export specialists. Each of them plays an integral role in SpartanNash's People First culture, Operational Excellence and Insights that Drive Solutions. Ready to contribute to the success of our food solutions company?

Location : 850 76th Street S.W. - Byron Center, Michigan 49315

Job Description

Position Summary :

This role is responsible for driving the creation and advancement of new products and experiences that align with the individual brand's strategic vision and consumer needs. Identifies growth opportunities, leads cross-functional innovation projects, and ensures timely commercialization of new ideas to promote sales growth, profitability and OwnBrands Penetration.

Here's what you'll do :

Product Planning & Lifecycle

Develop strategy within assigned categories for business plans consistent with the Company's overall goals.

Identifies emerging trends, consumer insights, and white space opportunities relevant to each brand.

Lead cross-functional teams through innovation stage gate and ideation to launch.

Product Innovation

Create compelling stories around innovation to get acceptance across corporate retail and Independents.

Partner on research and development, insights and analytics, and sourcing to validate, develop to launch.

Performance Management

Conducts periodic store visits to gain insight into the quality of merchandising solutions, in-store execution, shopper needs for product and pricing concerns.

Monitor and assess performance for OwnBrands products using various internal and external reporting tools available.

Accountable for forecasting and tracking results through year 1.

Additional Responsibilities

Take on additional responsibilities as assigned or as the business needs evolve.

Here's what you'll need :

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Supply Chain or related field. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Minimum 7 years' experience in private label, category management, product management, or marketing.

Experience with product segmentation, innovation framework, business case development and product diversification.

Experience with designing roadmaps aligned with private label growth objectives, leveraging consumer insights, market trends and white space opportunities.

Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence executive leaders with stories built on data.

Ability to effectively present information with visualizations with a focus on telling an impactful story.

Track record of delivering high-impact results by consistently launching successful products that exceed performance targets, drive incremental growth and strengthen brand differentiation.

Knowledge of category dynamics, competitive landscapes and innovation best practices across retail and CPG sectors for comparison.

Ability to bring cross-functional teams along through complex innovation pipelines from concept to commercialization with agility and precision.

Exceptional Excel (PowerBI, Power Query, etc.) and PowerPoint required.

Travel Requirements

Willingness to travel, including overnight stays, up to 15% depending on business needs.

As part of our People First culture, SpartanNash is proud to offer a robust and competitive Total Rewards benefits package.

SpartanNash is an Equal Opportunity Employer that invests in Associate development, recognizes and celebrates success, fosters two-way communication, and promotes a sense of belonging. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals, including those with disabilities and Veterans.

We are not able to sponsor work visas for this position.