Marketing Manager, Innovation Strategy

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

Position Summary

Manager, Innovation Strategy, key member of the Nature Made innovation team, supporting the upstream innovation agenda by translating strategic growth priorities, consumer and market insights, and scientific advancements into a structured, multi‑year innovation pipeline. Reporting to the Director of Innovation Strategy & Process, this role supports planning, prioritization, and management of the upstream innovation portfolio and contributes to continuous improvement of the innovation process, including new capabilities that improve speed and decision‑making.

This role is not available for immigration sponsorship or support.

Key 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.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate brings a growth mindset, can navigate ambiguity, synthesize insights into actionable opportunities, and balance long‑term innovation with near‑term business priorities. Strong communication skills and comfort working in a high‑performance, fast‑paced team with diverse stakeholders are essential.

Required Experience and 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.

Minimum Qualifications

• Four‑year college or university degree (or equivalent). An MBA is preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience post‑MBA or 7 years post‑college, with at least 2 years in innovation‑related roles.
• Experience working in the Consumer‑Packaged Goods (CPG) industry; preference for Health & Wellness, Vitamin and Supplements, or OTC Pharmaceutical industry.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $100,000 – $166,000 (national). $110,000 – $184,000 for California and NewYork metro areas.
• Total rewards package includes annual performance bonus, medical, dental, vision, 401K match, and other wellness benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Pharmavite is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit employment discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, and any other basis protected by state and federal law. Pharmavite provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws.