Associate Brand Manager, Brand Commercialization

King's Hawaiian; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

King’s Hawaiian in Torrance, CA, is seeking an Associate Brand Manager reporting to the Director of Brand Commercialization to drive growth across core platforms (Rolls, Grilling, Bites) from concept through launch; you will lead cross‑functional projects with insights, sales, and product teams.

This role requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years in marketing, innovation or cross‑functional roles; hybrid work schedule; compensation range $90,000–$130,000 plus potential bonus; travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration preferred.
• 5+ years of marketing, innovation, new product development, project management or other cross-functional experience preferred.
• Marketing agency, brand management, and/or CPG innovation or commercialization experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional innovation projects from concept through launch.
• Develop and manage detailed project plans and critical path timelines.
• Mobilize and lead cross-functional teams through development and launch.
• Prepare and deliver project updates and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Coordinate budgets, resources, and priorities with functional leaders.
• Promote an entrepreneurial, agile, and collaborative team culture.
• Manage multiple projects with competing priorities and timelines.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Cross-functional teamwork

Ambiguity navigation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration

Tools

MS Project

MS Planner

Asana

Job description

Joining King’s Hawaiian makes you part of our ohana (family). We are a family-owned business for over seventy years, respecting our roots while thinking about our future as we continue to grow and care for our customers and the communities we serve. Our ohana members build an environment of inclusivity as they freely collaborate, pursue learning through curiosity, and explore innovation as critical thinkers. Beyond that, we are also passionate about supporting the long-term health and well-being of our employees and their families. If you’re excited to rise with our team, come and join our `ohana!

Reporting to the Director of Brand Commercialization, the Associate Brand Manager will play a key role in driving growth across King’s Hawaiian’s core portfolio by leading cross‑functional projects from concept through launch. As an Associate Brand Manager on the Brand Commercialization team, you will lead a variety of initiatives across King’s Hawaiian’s established platforms (Rolls, Grilling, Bites), including line extensions, packaging initiatives, optimization projects, and new offerings. Partnering with experts across the organization, you will coordinate the strategy, people, plans, and resources needed to align teams and guide projects through opportunity identification, development, commercialization, and launch. Your curiosity, self‑initiative, and adaptability will enable you to navigate ambiguity, solve problems, and drive progress as you support growth and continuous improvement across the business.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as a key driver of core platform innovation initiatives at KING’S HAWAIIAN®, supporting the successful identifying of the opportunity and execution of product, packaging, and optimization projects.
• Lead the planning and execution of cross‑functional innovation projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring alignment on objectives, scope, timelines, resources, and deliverables.
• Develop and manage detailed project plans and critical path timelines, identifying milestones, risks, and dependencies.
• Mobilize and lead cross‑functional project teams (Innovation, Insights, Sales, Food Science, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders) through the strategic alignment, development, and launch process.
• Exercise effective communication, collaboration, and decision‑making among project teams and stakeholders to ensure projects remain on track and aligned to objectives.
• Identify, assess, and proactively mitigate project risks, barriers, and resource constraints to maintain momentum and achieve project objectives.
• Drive accountability across teams by monitoring progress, tracking key deliverables, and ensuring adherence to project timelines and commitments.
• Coordinate project resources, budgets, and priorities in partnership with functional leaders, aligning to brand and business objectives to support successful execution.
• Promote an entrepreneurial, agile, and collaborative team culture across innovation projects and initiatives.
• Prepare and deliver project updates, status reports, and recommendations to senior leadership and key stakeholders, ensuring clear communication of project progress, risks, key decisions, and milestones.
• Leverage project management tools, processes, and best practices to drive effective execution, while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while balancing competing priorities, resources, and timelines.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of this role.

BASIC AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE)

• Bachelor’s degree and/or higher education in Business Administration preferred.
• 5+ years of marketing, innovation, new product development, project management or other relevant cross‑functional experience preferred.
• Marketing agency, brand management, and/or CPG innovation or commercialization experience a plus.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (JOB SKILLS, ABILITIES, KNOWLEDGE)

• Strong project management skills, including planning, prioritization, organization, and execution.
• Experience using project management software is a plus (e.g., MS Project, MS Planner, Asana, etc.).
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build strong relationships, lead cross‑functional teams, and influence outcomes in a collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while balancing competing priorities and timelines.
• Highly organized, proactive, adaptable, and comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving priorities.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.
• Ability to activate and amplify aloha via King’s values of excellence, dignity, saying it like it is in a way it can be heard; and curiosity, collaboration, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

King’s Hawaiian operates in a hybrid work environment. We are in the office Monday - Wednesday and remote on Thursday and Friday unless there is a business need to go in.

The annual compensation range for this role is $90,000 to $130,000 plus a potential bonus. The final offer will be determined by several factors, including experience, internal equity, bbudget, etc.

King’s Hawaiian is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our ohana.