Sr. Manager, Innovation Commercialization - FBS/RTD, NYC or Chicago

What makes this a great opportunity?

At Suntory Global Spirits, we craft spirits of the highest quality and deliver brilliant experiences to people around the world. Suntory Global Spirits has evolved into the world's third largest leading premium spirits company ... where each employee is treated like family and trusted with legacy. With our greatest assets - our premium spirits and our people - we're driving growth through impactful marketing, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Suntory Global Spirits is a place where you can come Unleash your Spirit by making an impact each and every day.

As the Senior Manager, Innovation Commercialization, you will shape how we bring innovation to market and continuously improve how we commercialize it. You will translate innovation strategy into clear launch ambitions, quantified channel opportunities and executable customer plans; track performance and turn learnings into action; and continuously improve how we commercialize by simplifying, automating and integrating the process across the business. This role may be based out of the New York City or Chicago office

Role Responsibilities

1. Commercialize the Innovation

Turn innovation strategy into clear, commercially executable launch plans.

• Set the launch ambition. Define innovation tiers and the distribution, investment, customer support and execution expectations for each.
• Size the commercial opportunity. Partner with marketing, insights and category development team to establish channel-specific targets, including distribution and velocity assumptions.
• Drive launch planning & readiness. Build executive recommendations and translate approved innovation pipeline into actionable launch plans, ensuring priority launches have all required tools for sell-in and execution.

2. Measure & Improve Performance

Turn in-market performance into action and stronger future launches.

• Track launch performance. Establish KPIs and scorecards to measure innovation performance against agreed commercial goals and identify gaps and opportunities early.
• Drive post-launch action. Integrate innovation performance reviews into performance cycle and partner with cross-functional teams to address opportunities and course-correct where needed.
• Build learning into future launches. Translate performance and customer learnings into improved benchmarks, assumptions, tiering and execution standards.

3. Build a Better Commercialization Engine

Make innovation commercialization simpler, faster, more connected and increasingly automated.

• Own and evolve the commercialization playbook. Establish clear standards, tools, inputs, decision points and ways of working from approval through post-launch.
• Simplify & automate. Remove unnecessary complexity and automate recurring inputs, analysis, reporting and outputs to improve speed and consistency.
• Integrate commercialization into the business. Embed key milestones, decisions and outputs into broader processes including Seed to Sip, IFT and Innovation KPI goal setting, Performance Review

Key Outputs:

• Innovation tiering framework & commercialization playbook
• Channel size-of-prize models for FBS and RTD
• Launch readiness checklist and tracker

• Innovation KPI dashboard & performance scorecards
• Post-launch readouts & action plans
• Launch learning summaries & updated benchmarks

• Automated commercialization inputs, outputs & reporting
• Integrated commercialization milestones across Seed to Sip, IFT & KPI goal setting, Performance Cycle.

Key Stakeholders:

Marketing, Finance, Global Innovation Center, Innovation, IT, Category and Channel Development, Commercial Planning, Sales

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field  
• 3-5yr innovation commercialization + 3-5yr brand, commercial strategy, category management, sales strategy, or trade marketing (CPG /Spirits preferred)
• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence without authority; comfortable driving governance forums.
• Strong analytical skills (opportunity sizing, scenario modeling, performance diagnosis)
• Excellent communication and influencing skills; able to produce concise decision materials and sales ready narratives
• Excellent project management; able to develop and drive processes

Salary Range - The salary range for this role, based in Chicago is $135,000 to $150,000 along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate with the candidate’s location, experience, and skillset. 

While relocation, immigration, and/or tax compliance support are not guaranteed, we may offer assistance to successful candidates depending on factors such as role requirements in accordance with company guidelines.

At Suntory Global Spirits, people are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected. Suntory Global Spirits is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, military veteran status and all other characteristics, attributes or choices protected by law. All recruitment and hiring decisions are based on an applicant’s skills and experience.