Portfolio & Innovation Manager

Standlee Hay Co.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Standlee Hay Co. seeks a Portfolio & Innovation Manager to lead the commercial and portfolio side of its innovation efforts, identifying growth opportunities grounded in customer, consumer, market, and business needs.

This role owns portfolio strategy, new opportunity development, SKU optimization, and go-to-market support. You will partner across Sales, Marketing, Finance and Operations to evaluate opportunities, build business cases, and validate concepts, ensuring products meet customer and

Qualifications

• Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial thinking.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate opportunities and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong project leadership, communication, presentation, and cross-functional influencing skills.
• Ability to work with urgency, navigate ambiguity, and make sound business recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate new product, category, species, channel, and market opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a prioritized portfolio of innovation opportunities aligned with company growth objectives.
• Lead portfolio optimization and SKU rationalization, including recommendations to invest, improve, consolidate, or discontinue.
• Monitor customer, consumer, competitive, and industry trends to identify emerging opportunities.
• Develop recommendations and business cases based on strategic fit, customer need, revenue potential, margin, and market opportunity.
• Lead the commercial evaluation of new innovation and private label opportunities.
• Partner with Sales to understand customer requirements, volume potential, pricing, timing, and strategic value.
• Develop clear opportunity briefs defining the customer need, product concept, positioning, target price, and commercial opportunity.
• Lead customer and market validation of proposed concepts.
• Partner with Finance, Sales, and Operations to evaluate financial and commercial feasibility.
• Recommend whether opportunities should advance, change, or stop.
• Partner with the Product Innovation & Regulatory Manager throughout development to ensure products meet customer and market need.
• Provide commercial input into the innovation stage-gate process and jointly recommend project advancement at key decision points.
• Provide commercial insights and innovation expertise to support go-to-market strategies and customer sell-in plans in partnership with Marketing and Sales.
• Establish commercial success measures and evaluate post-launch performance.
• Recommend portfolio or commercial adjustments based on launch performance and market feedback.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Commercial thinking

Project leadership

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Urgency & adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Animal Science, Agriculture, Product Development, or related field

Job description

The Portfolio & Innovation Manager leads the commercial and portfolio side of Standlee's innovation efforts, identifying growth opportunities grounded in customer, consumer, market, and business needs. This role is responsible for portfolio strategy, new opportunity development, SKU optimization, private label opportunities, business cases, and commercial validation.

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be required by his/her supervisor.

Key Performance Areas (Essential Functions)

• Identify and evaluate new product, category, species, channel, and market opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a prioritized portfolio of innovation opportunities aligned with company growth objectives.
• Lead portfolio optimization and SKU rationalization, including recommendations to invest, improve, consolidate, or discontinue.
• Monitor customer, consumer, competitive, and industry trends to identify emerging opportunities.
• Develop recommendations and business cases based on strategic fit, customer need, revenue potential, margin, and market opportunity.

Commercial Opportunity Development

• Lead the commercial evaluation of new innovation and private label opportunities.
• Partner with Sales to understand customer requirements, volume potential, pricing, timing, and strategic value.
• Develop clear opportunity briefs defining the customer need, product concept, positioning, target price, and commercial opportunity.
• Lead customer and market validation of proposed concepts.
• Partner with Finance, Sales, and Operations to evaluate financial and commercial feasibility.
• Recommend whether opportunities should advance, change, or stop.
• Partner with the Product Innovation & Regulatory Manager throughout development to ensure products continue to meet the intended customer and market need.
• Provide commercial input into the innovation stage-gate process and jointly recommend project advancement at key decision points.
• Provide commercial insights and innovation expertise to support go-to-market strategies and customer sell-in plans in partnership with Marketing and Sales.
• Establish commercial success measures and evaluate post-launch performance.
• Recommend portfolio or commercial adjustments based on launch performance and market feedback.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build strong partnerships across Marketing, Sales, Product Development, Operations, Finance, Procurement, and Quality.
• Bring clear recommendations and solutions forward to support timely decision-making.
• Work collaboratively with the Product Innovation & Regulatory Manager as a peer, with each role maintaining decision authority within their respective areas of responsibility.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, urgency, accountability, and commercially focused innovation.

Experiences / Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Animal Science, Agriculture, Product Development, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in innovation, product management, commercialization, category management, marketing, or related discipline.
• Experience in animal nutrition, agriculture, feed, pet, equine, or related industries preferred.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial thinking.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate opportunities and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong project leadership, communication, presentation, and cross-functional influencing skills.
• Ability to work with urgency, navigate ambiguity, and make sound business recommendations.

Working Conditions

Work is generally sedentary in nature but may require standing and walking for up to 10% of the time. The working environment is generally favorable. Lighting and temperature are adequate, and there are no hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by noise, etc. Work is generally performed in an office environment, with standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. Typical repetitive office work - PC, telephone, and live meetings.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Able to lift 50 pounds without issue.

While performing the duties of the job the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, read, write, and communicate in fluent English. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

Professional Conduct:

Each employee of Standlee has a responsibility to know, understand and abide by Workplace Professional Standards of Conduct. Professional Conduct includes Customer Service, Courtesy, Ethics, Safety, Teamwork, Responsibility, Accountability, Confidentiality, and Professionalism.

Travel

Approximately 10-20% domestic travel.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.