Innovation Strategy Manager — Upstream Growth & Pipeline

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401K match

Wellness benefits

Job summary

Pharmavite in the United States is seeking a Manager of Innovation Strategy to lead the upstream innovation agenda for the Nature Made team. This role translates strategic priorities and scientific advances into a multi-year pipeline and drives governance, prioritization, and process improvements.

Ideal candidates will synthesize insights into opportunities, partner across Marketing, R&D, and Insights, and develop compelling business cases for new segments or partnerships.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in product innovation within the CPG or wellness industry, with a track record of creating successful innovation strategies and product launches.
• Experience in upstream innovation, navigating white space and ambiguity, and shaping strategies for new demand spaces.
• Expertise in managing innovation processes, with experience applying agile methodologies.
• Scientific aptitude with proven experience translating complex scientific concepts into compelling consumer-facing ideas.
• Portfolio thinking—understand how initiatives connect to broader business goals and priorities.
• Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging consumer insights and market data to develop actionable product opportunities.
• Strong financial acumen for building and presenting robust business cases for new products.
• Experience leading and influencing cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex strategic concepts.
• Managerial experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Translate opportunity areas into structured, multi‑year pipeline workstreams—spanning research projects and claims—by partnering with Science, Marketing, and Insights to define clear initiatives, timelines, deliverables, and governance.
• Develop templates and operating mechanisms that support effective prioritization and alignment of the upstream innovation portfolio.
• Manage continuous improvement of the core innovation process—focusing on agility, consumer centricity, and AI adoption—by managing scoring frameworks and ideation tools.
• Lead and motivate cross‑functional project teams and act as liaison among Marketing, Nutrition Science, R&D, Regulatory, Legal, and Finance to ensure a fit‑for‑purpose innovation process and future pipeline.
• Partner with insights teams to ensure the innovation strategy is informed by consumer needs, market data, and competitive analysis.
• Support the development of white space business cases, including financial analysis, positioning, and go‑to‑market considerations, to build compelling holistic value propositions for new segments, business models, or partnerships.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Agile methodologies

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Project management

Leadership

Managerial experience

Financial acumen

Portfolio thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

MBA preferred

Job description

Pharmavite in the United States is seeking a Manager of Innovation Strategy to lead the upstream innovation agenda for the Nature Made team. This role translates strategic priorities and scientific advances into a multi-year pipeline and drives governance, prioritization, and process improvements.

Ideal candidates will synthesize insights into opportunities, partner across Marketing, R&D, and Insights, and develop compelling business cases for new segments or partnerships.