Innovation Manager

Tyson Foods, Inc.; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plans

Health, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Tyson Foods, Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas is seeking an Innovation Manager to drive growth by developing and executing a consumer-led pipeline.

The role requires strategic thinking, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to translate insights into commercially successful innovations. You will lead from opportunity identification through launch, partner across Insights, Marketing, R&D, Sales, and other functions, and ensure on-time, on-budget delivery with measurable market impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in Innovation, Brand Marketing, Product Development, Consumer Insights, Strategy, or related field.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence without direct authority.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• Balance long-term strategic vision with disciplined execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage an innovation pipeline aligned to growth objectives.
• Champion the voice of the consumer across functions to translate insights into solutions.
• Lead end-to-end innovation execution from opportunity to launch and post-market.
• Build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders to accelerate decisions.
• Deliver measurable business impact through strategy and execution.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Influence without authority

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

Job Summary

The Innovation Manager drives sustainable business growth by developing and executing a consumer‑led innovation pipeline. The Innovation Manager identifies emerging opportunities, translates consumer and marketplace insights into actionable growth strategies, and leads cross‑functional teams to bring differentiated products and experiences to market. Success requires a balance of strategic thinking and execution excellence. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast‑paced corporate environment, builds trusted relationships, can influence despite not owning final decision, and turns insights into commercially successful innovation. This position sits full‑time onsite in Springdale, Arkansas.

Key Responsibilities

Growth Strategy & Pipeline Development

Develop and manage a robust innovation pipeline aligned to brand, category, and business growth objectives. Identify opportunities through consumer insights, trends, competitive intelligence, and analytics. Build short‑and long‑term strategies that deliver sustainable revenue, profit, and share growth. Prioritize opportunities based on consumer relevance, business impact, and feasibility.

Consumer‑Led Innovation

Champion the voice of the consumer throughout the innovation process. Partner across Insights, Marketing, R&D, Sales, and various cross‑functional teams to translate unmet needs into differentiated solutions. Develop compelling value propositions and positioning that create a meaningful competitive advantage. Lead concept development, validation, optimization, and commercialization.

End‑to‑End Innovation Execution

Lead innovation initiatives from opportunity identification through launch and post‑market evaluation. Align cross‑functional teams around clear objectives, milestones, and business outcomes. Proactively manage risks, remove barriers, and drive decisions to maintain momentum. Deliver initiatives on time, on budget, and with strong marketplace results.

Leadership & Influence

Build trusted relationships across functions and organizational levels to accelerate alignment and decisions. Influence stakeholders through insight‑driven storytelling, business acumen, and collaboration. Navigate competing priorities and complex business dynamics with confidence and balanced persistence.

What Success Looks Like

Builds a pipeline that fuels future Enterprise growth. Identifies opportunities before competitors. Turns consumer insights into action with winning innovation. Creates alignment across diverse stakeholders. Delivers measurable business impact through strategy and execution.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in Innovation, Brand Marketing, Product Development, Consumer Insights, Strategy, or a related field. Demonstrated success developing and commercializing innovation pipelines that drive growth. Strong strategic thinking, analytical, problem‑solving, and financial acumen, P&L exposure. Proven ability to lead complex cross‑functional initiatives and influence without direct authority. Exceptional communication, relationship‑building, and stakeholder management skills. Ability to balance long‑term strategic vision with near‑term disciplined execution.
Travel: 10-15%
Must reside in the United States to be considered.
Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes
Work Shift: 1ST SHIFT (United States of America)
Background checks: Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.
Hourly Applicants ONLY
Physical requirements: The successful candidate(s) must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.

Benefits

We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.

Additional Information

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Vendor Disclaimer

Unsolicited Assistance: Tyson Foods and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited support from external recruitment vendors for open positions within the United States. Any resumes or candidate profiles submitted by recruitment vendors or headhunters to any employee or applicant tracking system at Tyson Foods or its subsidiaries, without a valid written request and search agreement approved by HR, will be considered the property of Tyson Foods. No fees will be paid if the candidate is hired due to an unsolicited referral.