Sr Manager, Innovation & Strategy

Nestlé S.A.; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Healthcare coverage

Broad range of benefits

Job summary

Nestlé USA seeks a Senior Manager for Commercial Innovation Strategy and Capability Leadership to translate innovation priorities into division-level action. The role partners across brands, Commercial Development, Sales, Finance, Consumer Insights & Foresight, Digital, R&D, TAG, and external partners to build strategy, rolling pipelines, and disciplined commercialization.

It combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, moving opportunities from ambition to prioritized concepts and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or Master's preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in CPG innovation, marketing or strategy.
• Experience building innovation strategies and pipelines in a matrixed organization.
• Knowledge of front-end innovation, portfolio management, stage-gate governance, and performance tracking.
• Ability to translate inputs into clear recommendations and actions.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy and brand priorities into long-term innovation strategy and rolling three-year pipelines.
• Lead opportunity assessments and align with Brand Building the Nestle Way to strengthen growth platforms.
• Incorporate consumer insights and foresight into strategy, concept development, and pipeline decisions.
• Drive adoption of The Nestlé Way, FEI processes, governance, and stage-gate reporting.
• Coach cross-functional teams through opportunity framing, prioritization, and experimentation.
• Partner with Learning & Development to embed innovation capability into ways of working.
• Support monthly innovation scorecards and governance routines with clear insights and actions.
• Collaborate with R&D, TAG, Commercial Development, Sales, Finance, and divisions to accelerate launches and scale.
• Act as an integrator across functions, clarifying roles and ownership to move innovation forward with speed.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Influencing without authority

Consumer orientation

Results orientation

Innovation

Analytical storytelling

Portfolio management

Change leadership

Coaching and capability building

Budget and partner management

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or Master's in Marketing / Business / Innovation

Job description

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.
At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives.

Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

POSITION SUMMARY

This role is a commercial innovation strategy and capability leadership position responsible for translating Nestlé USA innovation priorities into practical, division-level action. The Senior Manager partners across brands, categories, Commercial Development, Sales, Finance, Consumer Insights & Foresight, Digital, R&D, TAG (Technical Application Group), and external partners to build innovation strategy, stronger rolling pipelines, embed Innovation the Nestlé Way, improve portfolio governance and performance visibility, and accelerate scalable, consumer-led innovation. The role combines strategic thought leadership with hands‑on execution, helping teams move from ambition to prioritized opportunities, robust concepts, and disciplined commercialization.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Innovation Strategy and Strategic Pipeline Development

• Partner with division and Product Experience (PX) teams to translate Business Strategy and Brand priorities into long-term innovation strategy with actionable, rolling three-year pipeline plans.
• Lead innovation-needs and opportunity assessments, including Brand Building the Nestle Way alignment, to identify gaps, clarify choices, and strengthen future growth platforms.
• Integrate Consumer Insights & Foresight perspectives into strategy, opportunity framing, concept development, and pipeline decisions.

Innovation Process, Capability Building, and Toolkits

• Lead the practical adoption of Innovation the Nestlé Way, including the FEI process, frameworks, best practices, and connections to commercialization and stage gate governance.
• Diagnose capability and process needs across divisions and develop customized coaching, workshops, playbooks, and toolkits based on business priorities.
• Coach brand and cross-functional teams through opportunity framing, prioritization, concept development, experimentation, and decision‑making.
• Partner with Learning & Development and Marketing Transformation teams to embed innovation capability into sustainable ways of working.

Portfolio Governance, Performance, and Accountability

• Support monthly Nestlé USA innovation scorecard routines, consolidating inputs and surfacing trends, risks, recommended actions, and implications for performance, incrementality, and pipeline strength.
• Enable efficient leadership innovation reviews through clear templates, decision‑oriented insights, and follow‑through on actions and commitments.
• Champion stage gate data quality and reporting routines in partnership with TAG and cross‑functional owners, escalating gaps and driving action plans.
• Strengthen portfolio discipline through clear prioritization, lifecycle performance tracking, and transparent governance routines.

Cross‑Functional Integration and Commercialization

• Partner with R&D and TAG as technical enablers, connecting commercial opportunity with product experience excellence, sensory, 60/40+, feasibility, and category‑specific superiority frameworks.
• Collaborate with Commercial Development, Sales, Finance, and division teams to strengthen retailer‑facing innovation strategies and improve the launch and scale of innovation across priority channels, including eCommerce and Club.
• Partner with Digital teams to ensure innovation tools are strategically aligned to business needs, user‑friendly, and embedded within divisional ways of working.
• Act as an integrator across functions, clarifying roles, interdependencies, decision points, and ownership needed to move innovation forward with speed and accountability.

Stakeholder Engagement and Team Leadership

• Serve as a trusted innovation advisor to division and functional leaders, providing clear recommendations, constructive challenge, and hands‑on support.
• Build strong relationships across a complex matrix and influence decisions without direct authority.
• Foster collaboration, transparency, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across the Innovation Center of Excellence.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or Master's degree in Marketing, Business, Innovation, Strategy, or a related field preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in CPG innovation, marketing, strategy, consumer insights, commercialization, or related roles.
• Demonstrated experience building innovation strategies and pipelines and leading cross‑functional work in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Working knowledge of front‑end innovation, portfolio management, stage‑gate governance, commercialization, and performance tracking.
• Experience translating consumer, category, customer, technical, and financial inputs into clear recommendations and action.
• Strong project and partner management experience, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, senior stakeholders, external resources, and budgets.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen
• Influencing Without Authority
• Consumer and Category Orientation
• Results Orientation and Bias for Action
• Innovation and Creative Problem Solving
• Analytical Storytelling and Executive Communication
• Pipeline and Portfolio Management
• Change Leadership and Organizational Agility
• Capability Building and Coaching
• Project, Budget, and Partner Management
• Collaboration and One‑Team Mindset

Salary:$170,482.10 to$230,330.05 per year

Bonus Eligibility:Yes

Thepay rangeprovided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at top of range.

Nestlé offers performance‑based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at https://www.nestlejobs.com/nestle-in-the-us-benefits

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

The Nestlé Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at [e-mail] or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.