Senior Manager, Commercial Strategy

Kellanova Co; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 134,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company contributions

Job summary

Kellanova is seeking a Senior Manager, Commercial Strategy to drive the commercialization of innovation and limited-time offers for Pop-Tarts and Rice Krispies Treats. You will lead cross-functional teams, translating pipelines into customer-ready plans that maximize distribution and activation across key retailers and channels.

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Strategic Demand Lead, you will partner with Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Supply Chain to deliver integrated go-to-market strategies and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and progressive CPG experience across sales, marketing, commercialization.
• Proven track record leading commercialization of new products, seasonal programs, and innovation initiatives.
• Experience developing customer-specific commercial strategies and in-store/digital activation plans.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and lead complex initiatives.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills for executive-level materials.
• Experience partnering with national retail customers and omnichannel teams.
• Strong leadership, analytical, financial, and strategic planning capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercialization of innovation, seasonal, and LTO programs for Pop-Tarts.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, R&D, Finance, Supply Chain, SRM, and Omnichannel to develop go-to-market strategies.
• Translate pipelines into customer-specific commercial plans, including merchandising and activation programs.
• Develop customer-facing sales materials and lead commercialization planning for distribution growth.
• Provide strategic leadership and monitor performance to identify growth opportunities.

Skills

CPG experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Executive communication

Retail activation

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Job description

Accelerator is Mars Snacking's growth engine, focused on unlocking growth across high-potential categories and brands. The BetterForYouportfolio includes KIND®, RXBAR®, Nutri-Grain®, Special K Bars®, and Pure Organic®, while the Tasty & Wholesome portfolio includes Eggo®, Rice Krispies Treats® and Pop Tarts®.Combining the scale of Mars with the agility of a growth business, Accelerator is driving innovation, accelerating performance, and transforming the way work gets done through data, automation, and AI-enabled solutions.
Reporting to the Sr. Director, Strategic Demand Lead (SDL), the Senior Manager, Commercial Strategy leads the commercialization of innovation, seasonal, and limited-time offer (LTO) initiatives for the Pop-Tarts and Rice Krispies Treats brands. This role serves as the commercial lead for Pop-Tarts innovation while providing leadership and strategic direction to the Innovation Manager supporting Rice Krispies Treats. The position is responsible for translating innovation pipelines into customer-ready selling strategies that drive distribution, merchandising, and activation across key retail customers and channels. Partnering closely with Marketing, Sales, Finance, SRM, Supply Chain, Omnichannel, and R &D teams, this role develops and executes commercialization plans that maximize launch success and accelerate growth. Success requires strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders.

A Taste Of What You’ll Be Doing

• Innovation Commercialization – Lead the commercialization of innovation, seasonal, and limited-time offer (LTO) programs for Pop-Tarts, driving customer adoption and marketplace execution. Cross-Functional Partnership – Partner with Marketing, Sales, R &D, Finance, Supply Chain, SRM, and Omnichannel teams to develop and execute integrated go-to-market strategies.
• Customer Activation Strategy – Translate innovation pipelines into customer-specific commercial plans, including merchandising, display, promotional, and omnichannel activation programs.
• Commercial Selling & Execution – Develop customer-facing sales materials and lead commercialization planning to support distribution growth, successful sell-in, and strong sell-through performance.
• Team Leadership & Optimization – Provide strategic leadership to the Rice Krispies Treats Innovation Manager while monitoring performance, identifying growth opportunities, and optimizing innovation activation strategies.

We’re Looking for Someone With

• Bachelor’s degree and progressive experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) across Sales, Marketing, Commercialization, Innovation, Brand Management, or related functions.
• Proven track record leading the commercialization of new products, seasonal programs, and innovation initiatives from concept through market execution.
• Experience developing customer-specific commercial strategies, promotional programs, merchandising solutions, and retail activation plans that drive business results.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and lead complex initiatives across multiple functions.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, including developing executive-level and customer-facing materials.
• Experience partnering with national retail customers and omnichannel teams to execute integrated in-store and digital activation strategies.
• Strong leadership, analytical, financial, and strategic planning capabilities, with experience coaching and developing team members while translating insights into actionable business recommendations.

Compensation

The annual salary range is $134,400 - $176,400, which is based on various factors such as location, experience and skill. Discretionary bonuses based on company and individual performance are also available.

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death & dismemberment insurance, employee assistance program, short-term disability coverage, and long-term disability insurance.
• Also, voluntary income protection benefits such as supplemental life, accident as well as a 401(k) plan with company contributions is available.
• Part-time employees may have access to benefits on a pro-rated basis. See KellanovaTotalHealth.com for more information.

All applicants must have permanent legal authorization to work in the United States. Kellanova does not sponsor employment visas for this role.

Get to Know Us

We’ve always been driven to unleash the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our iconic, world-class brands at Kellanova include Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, MorningStar Farms, Special K, Krave, Zucaritas, Tresor, Crunchy Nut, among others.

Mars, Incorporated has acquired Kellanova in a transaction that brings together iconic brands, storied legacies and outstanding capabilities with a view to shape the future of snacking. You can learn more here, and our hiring teams will be happy to discuss further questions if your application advances in the hiring process.

Let’s shape the future of snacking.

Kellanova is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to provide an inclusive work environment, a seat for everyone at the table, and embraces the diverse talent of its people. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding our efforts to advance Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, please visit our website here..