Product Innovation Manager (Energy Drinks & Sports Nutrition)

1) ROLE OVERVIEW

The Product Innovation Manager is responsible for the end-to-end innovation process across Energy Drinks and Sports Nutrition, from concept to commercialisation.

This role combines strategy, product development, and technical coordination to drive a strong, relevant, and profitable product portfolio.

The position works cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and external partners (flavour houses, co-packers) to ensure all innovation projects are feasible, scalable, and market-driven.

2) KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A) STRATEGY & PIPELINE MANAGEMENT

* Define and execute the innovation roadmap aligned with overall business objectives

* Manage the full innovation pipeline (idea → evaluation → prioritisation → execution → launch → discontinuation)

* Continuously review the product portfolio based on margin, sales performance, and market relevance (keep/improve/kill), with the help of Tableau/Sales/Finance

* Identify market trends, emerging ingredients, and competitive developments

* Establish and track KPIs (e.g., margin, time-to-market, success rate of launches)

B) INNOVATION & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

* Lead development of new products and reformulation of existing SKUs (flavours, recipes, formats)

* Define product concepts, positioning, and specifications based on market insights and customer needs

* Manage the full NPD process: Discovery → Scoping → Business Case → Development → Validation → Launch → Post-Launch

* Oversee product testing, tastings, and iterations

* Ensure all product specifications, regulatory requirements, and documentation are accurate and up to date

C) TECHNICAL LEAD & SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT

* Manage relationships with flavour houses, co-packers, ingredient suppliers, and packaging providers

* Identify and evaluate new manufacturers and production capabilities

* Communicate detailed product specifications to suppliers

* Monitor and approve samples, pre-production batches, and production trials

* Maintain and develop supplier and co-packer portfolios

D) PROJECT MANAGEMENT & EXECUTION

* Lead cross-functional execution of innovation projects across all departments

* Build and manage project timelines, milestones, and Gantt charts (e.g., Asana, Notion) and share with the involved stakeholders (involve the Project Manager, if needed)

* Run stage-gate processes, including progress tracking and management updates

* Ensure clear communication and alignment between stakeholders

* Identify risks, resolve issues, and escalate when required

E) FINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL OWNERSHIP

* Develop business cases, including cost structure/target pricing, margin, and volume forecasts, together with the Sales and Finance Team

* Determine product pricing based on market data, cost analysis, and positioning

* Conduct annual margin reviews and optimise underperforming SKUs with Finance

F) MARKET & CUSTOMER INSIGHTS

* Conduct market analysis (trends, channels, competitors, consumer behaviour)

* Identify customer needs through feedback, surveys, and distributor input

* Perform regular competitive benchmarking (products, flavours, positioning)

* Translate insights into actionable innovation opportunities

G) GO-TO-MARKET & LAUNCH

* Coordinate with Marketing and Sales on product launches and commercial plans

* Support development of product catalogues, launch programs, and materials

* Monitor post-launch performance and collect feedback from distributors

* Lead project close-out and lessons learned to improve future processes