Project Manager, Innovation in Mills River, North Carolina at Gaia Herbs

Summary:

The Innovation Project Manager will work within the NPD team to help bring new products to market. This position will help lead ideation sessions, analyze new ingredient trends, validate concepts with consumers, work with concept testing vendors, and co-create New Product Charters with the Brand Team. Once concepts have been validated, project management begins. This position will manage a large cross-functional team from finance to R&D to plant managers in the creation of new products, ensuring tasks are completed on time. The Innovation Project Manager will foster a culture of continuous process improvement to help meet the long-term needs of Gaia’s vision and strategic growth plans.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Work within cross-functional teams to help identify new product concepts, guide process, maintain a schedule, and build a positive culture that will facilitate team member contribution toward completion of projects and initiatives in line with deliverable expectations and cultural values.

• Lead or contribute to larger corporate initiatives, including:
  • New Product ideation and validation
  • New Product Development
• Manage dedicated project teams by cultivating relationships between the team members to ensure project success
• Ensure schedule adherence of tasks and deliverables within all departments/functions contributing to assigned projects
• Update director-level stakeholders regularly with project progress
• Help develop a culture of creative problem solving inherent in managing projects
• Work with project team members to familiarize them with our processes and PM software

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with 3+ years’ experience managing projects, or equivalent practical experience in lieu of degree.
• Certified Associate Project Manager Certification in progress or completed within the first year at Gaia
• Experience with project management software, like Monday.com, MS Project, Asana, Smartsheet, Click Up, Workfront.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Curiosity and comfort leading projects that create product forms, ingredient combinations, and need-state solutions that may not exist in the market
• Skills in project management, process improvement/optimization, and an ability to analyze information with accuracy.
• Must be able to work collaboratively with cross-functional partners around the organization.
• Other highly essential qualities:
  • Ability to encourage and harness creativity
  • Resilience in coping with conflicting demands and working under pressure
  • Ability to work to deadlines
  • A team builder
  • Communicate with an articulate and diplomatic manner in groups
  • Ability to adapt well to change
  • Strong attention to detail and organization
  • Self-motivated and able to take initiative