Brand Manager - Hybrid/Remote in Manteno, Illinois at Urban Farmer LLC

Overview:

Urban Farmer – Home of CAULIPOWER is seeking a highly motivated, strategic, and results-driven Brand Manager to lead the brand growth & new product development for CAULIPOWER. This role serves as a critical link between consumer insights, customer needs, business strategy, and operational execution. The Brand Manager will be responsible for identifying growth opportunities, developing innovation strategies, managing product pipelines, and leading go-to-market plans for the full brand.

As a key member of the marketing team, this individual will collaborate closely with Sales, R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Procurement, Regulatory, Finance, and Packaging to ensure the future success of the CAULIPOWER brand in the competitive marketplace . The ideal candidate possesses a strong combination of strategic thinking, project leadership, commercialization expertise, analytical capability, and entrepreneurial drive. They are passionate about innovation, thrive in fast-paced environments, and have a proven ability to translate market opportunities into profitable business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Innovation Strategy & Growth Planning

• Lead the development and execution of Urban Farmer's innovation strategy acrossthe CAULIPOWER brand.
• Build andmaintaina robust innovation pipeline that supports short-term businessobjectivesand long-term growth initiatives.
• Identifyemerging consumer trends, category opportunities, retailer priorities, ingredient innovations, and competitive activity to uncover new areas for expansion.
• Analyze market dynamics, consumer behavior, syndicated data, retailer feedback, and industry trends toidentifywhitespace opportunities.
• Translate insights into actionable innovation platforms, product concepts, and strategic recommendations.
• Present innovation recommendations and growth strategies to leadership teams.

Consumer Insights, Category Analysis & Market Intelligence

• Analyze consumer research, syndicated data, retailer insights, and category trends to guide innovation decisions.
• Monitor competitive activity, pricing strategies, promotional activity, and product launches across key categories.
• Translate consumer feedback and market learnings into product improvements and innovation opportunities.
• Develop compelling consumer-focused value propositions and product positioning strategies.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to prioritize innovation investments and portfolio opportunities.

Portfolio Management & Business Optimization

• Manage and support existing product platforms acrossCAULIPOWERportfolios.
• Continuously evaluate product performance, profitability, market share, and consumer feedback.
• Recommend portfolio enhancements, product renovations, line extensions, and innovation initiatives.
• Partner with Finance and Sales to support forecasting, planning, and business review activities.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve margins, driveefficiencies, and maximize portfolio performance.

Brand & Product Stewardship

• Support the ongoing growth and positioning of the CAULIPOWER brand while ensuring alignment with Urban Farmer's broader strategicobjectives.
• Develop product positioning, claims, naming recommendations, packaging briefs, and selling stories.
• Partnerwith Marketing and Creative teams to ensure product launches are supported with compelling messaging and go-to-market strategies.
• Ensure packaging, claims, and product communications remain compliant with regulatory requirements and brand standards.
• Maintain consistency across product portfolios, innovation initiatives, and customer-facing materials.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a key leader within cross-functional project teams.
• Build strong relationships across departments andfacilitatecollaboration toward commonobjectives.
• Influence decision-making through data, insights, and strategic recommendations.
• Communicate project status, risks, and opportunities effectively to stakeholders and leadership.
• Drive accountability while fostering a culture of innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a champion forthe CAULIPOWER brandthroughout the organization.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing,Consumer Packaged Goods, ora related field.
• Minimum 5-8 years of experience in innovation, commercialization, product development, category management, brand management, or related CPG/food manufacturing roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects from concept through commercialization and launch.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting consumer insights, syndicated data, and business performance metrics.
• Experience with IRI, Nielsen, SPINS,Circana, or similar syndicated data platforms.
• Knowledge of Stage-Gate product development processes.
• Experience developing business cases, financial analysis, pricing strategies, and commercialization plans.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Preferred

• Food manufacturing or consumer packaged goods experiencestronglypreferred.
• MBA preferred but notrequired.