Job Location: CT - , CT
CHEERS! Founded in 1981, Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits markets quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world. With our headquarters in Stamford, CT, DFWS is the 4th largest wine company with one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios. With our family values and unique culture, DFWS was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces in the U.S. in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits seeks a Senior Brand Manager, Innovation, reporting to the Director of Innovation, to conceive and develop new products that engage consumers, enhance brand equity, and build long-term profit growth for the company. This is a hybrid home/office opportunity at the company's headquarters in Stamford, CT.
The Senior Brand Manager, Innovation, will join a team of Innovation specialists in developing a pipeline of products - in both wine and spirits - that broaden our existing brands and create new opportunities for development.
This position requires a creative mindset that encourages others to think bigger and to work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders and external agencies to produce best-in-class results. Using the Stage-Gate process, this individual will ensure a disciplined and consistent approach to idea development from concept, to liquid, to packaging to brand asset creation.
Responsibilities:
- Uses consumer & occasions insights, industry trends and data, competitive intelligence, and knowledge of product innovation and culture to form a holistic understanding of consumer needs and leads the process of creating concepts and products to better meet those needs.
- Write exceptional briefs that inspire our creative partners to think bigger and deliver concepts/ideas that crush our consumer research success criteria.
- With the support of the Director of New Products and the Project Management team, lead the process of bringing these ideas to life (first case produced and shipped) by demonstrating a mastery of our stage-gate process.
- With Consumer Insights and the Director of Innovation, develop benchmarking criteria and "best practices" for DFWS Innovation that enables quicker decision-making by management.
- With Package Design and external agency resources, provide creative thinking & visual positioning support to drive breakthroughs in concepts and effective packaging that raise the standard for creative development at DFWS.
- Drive thought leadership in brand and packaging design, including identifying and interpreting design trends, assessing design implications of competitive, consumer and/or customer behavior and identifying future opportunities / portfolio gaps for the extension or future articulation of our brands.
- Review, evaluate and guide design development work-pushing to inspire creative and find 'big ideas and new opportunities that address business challenges and communication objectives.
- Leads the development of launch strategies and exciting D1 national launch presentations in close partnership with the Brand Teams.
- Recommends and manages the innovation budget on a project-by-project basis, including agency RFPs.
- Has expert knowledge of the Stage Gate process and key success thresholds to drive projects through gates.
- Has deep knowledge of brand P&Ls and Cost structures.
Critical Skills:
- Has a vision for how to structure projects, work autonomously, engage with cross functional resources, encourage bigger thinking, and deliver consistently reliable results on tight deadlines.
- The ability to anticipate, problem solve, make quick decisions in an environment of ambiguity, break down barriers to progress through personal initiative.
- The ability to articulate new ideas, create compelling stories and translate data/trends into usable strategies and insights.
- Write effective strategies and briefs, leveraging CI, BI and other internal and external resources.
- Understand and respond to commercial needs with ideas and insights articulated in a manner that promotes general understanding and acceptance.
- Demonstrate financial competency in managing project budgets, request for proposals, and the like.
- The ability to inspire internal and external partners to produce superior strategic and creative output.
- Extensive understanding and experience with consumer research, including when to use and how to interpret consumer data.
- Deep curiosity and the ability to think of creative solutions to problems.
- Has the patience and fortitude to press forward with new solutions and/or ideas until the best one is found.
- Diverse portfolio of skills and experience, including depth of knowledge in concept development, strategic positioning, research methodologies and fluent in the application of packaging regulations.
- Effective influencer of senior management as well as cross-functional business partners; natural collaborator, proactive, solutions oriented; excellent communication skills-written & verbal.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills.
Qualifications:
- BS/BA degree, preferably in Marketing or Communications; MBA preferred.
- 7+ years of innovation and/or brand management experience (preferably in client-side environments).
- Experience in Wine & Spirits or CPG a plus, but not required.
- Passionate design advocate with extraordinary design taste.
- Exceptional visual storyteller.
- Balance of strong strategic and creative thinking and flawless execution.
What We Offer:
- Competitive compensation.
- Career development opportunities.
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance, PTO.
- 401 (k) match.
- Product allowance to enjoy on DFWS products.
- Tuition Reimbursement and a Pot Secondary education scholarship program for employees' children.
- Gym reimbursement.
- Employee Assistance Program.
We Value Diversity
At DFWS, we believe that our differences are our strengths. We embrace and celebrate the diversity of our team members, our customers, and our communities.
About Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits
Initially called W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., the company was founded in 1981 by Chairman Bill Deutsch to market quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world. In 2009, it announced the expansion of the award-winning company to include a Spirits Portfolio.
Learn more about Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits at www.deutschfamily.com
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