Product Commercialization Manager

Position Summary:

The Product Commercialization Manager serves as an internal management function for the Corporate Brands Division (private label) whose primary responsibilities are to manage the internal execution of product launches and assist in the development of new business for the Division. This includes: 

• Supporting all new product development activities such as:
• New product launches
• Special programs including shipper and pallet display events
• Product redesigns
• Managing annual Advertising and Promotion Budgets
• Creating and managing business-to-business promotional and advertising activity
• Developing presentations for customer meetings
• Collaborating with the MZB-USA’s brand management team for website and marketing activity
• Managing trade shows, including delivery of all materials at or below budget
• Leading the interface with outside agencies for Marketing and Sales support

Primary Functions:

• Collaborate with Shopper Marketing team to analyze data and track emerging trends
• Create presentations for all customer meetings
• Develop value statements and romance copy around key selling propositions for MZB-USA and the Corporate Brands team
• Manage each product development project for new and existing customers inclusive of new label designs
• Responsible for submitting all labels that contain certification logos to include:  RA, Fairtrade & Organic
• Define customer requirements and translate into appropriate development plans
• Cross-functionally work with appropriate internal departments (Operations, Quality Control, Marketing, Sales, R&D, Purchasing, and Logistics) to expedite the product development and commercialization cycle
• Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors for the flawless execution of projects
• Manage and track multiple projects simultaneously and ensure timelines are met
• Analyze and report performance of previous projects, identifying areas for process improvements
• Maintain records of commercialization cycles and develop / improve for best practices
• Chair bi-weekly status meetings with all stakeholders
• Manage packaging development process for over 600 SKUs; packaging projects may range from minor to major and include new customer launches, existing customer line extensions, and label redesigns for existing customers
• Manage approvals for all customer artwork projects to ensure integrity of design and secure necessary approvals at each stage of development
• Take immediate corrective action if monthly new item introduction report from data service providers either fails to identify new MZB-USA manufactured private brand items or miscodes them
• Develop and manage annual advertising and promotional budget and process invoices for payment
• Manage within or below annual budget for all areas of responsibility
• Coordinate with advertising agency for B2B advertising
• Manage the exhibition of industry trade shows; this includes ideation for thematic support and booth elements to support the theme, as well as the coordination of all paperwork and product event sampling

Secondary Functions:

• Provide support as needed to other MZB-USA departments for areas of specialization
• Maintain comprehensive label library for all Corporate Brand SKUs
• Understand and be proficient in utilizing MZB-USA reporting systems for internal reporting of sales activity
• Develop capability to pull data service and analyze trends

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably with specialization in Business
• Minimum of two years’ experience in product development and package design
• Experience with packaging materials and packaging equipment knowledge is required
• Solid project management, organizational, and prioritization skills required
• Ability to manage/develop/improve processes and utilize tools to track and report progress against key initiatives
• Proven ability to analyze issues, suggest solutions, and embrace change that enables long-term value creation
• Must possess customer focus with strong sense of urgency
• Must exhibit strong interpersonal communication skills for both internal and external communication
• Must have very strong computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and the ability to function in customer proprietary software programs; additional capabilities with other presentation software packages is a plus

Equal Opportunity Employer: disability / veteran. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace environment for our family of employees. MZB-USA recruits and advances qualified applicants without regard to race, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, religion, marital status, military service, veteran status, political affiliation, disability, or any other status protected by law. MZB-USA also prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind and is fully dedicated to the safety of its workforce.

General Statement

This is a description of the general duties and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It in no way states or implies these are the only duties to be performed. Employees will be required to perform other duties as assigned. This position requires ongoing training in accordance with the attached Job Training Matrix.