King Arthur Baking Company

King Arthur Baking Company is an award-winning, audience-leading baking company with a strategic vision to be the resource for baking education and inspiration.  Through traditional and new media, in-person and virtual education, we strive to be a leader in helping novice and expert bakers alike.  We’re not going anywhere – we’ve been part of the family since 1790. We work to build stronger communities and increase access and the connection to real foods. We take pride in our responsible sourcing and our “never bleached” guarantee. And we work closely with farmers, millers, and suppliers in a continued commitment toward sustainability. Our wheat flour is grown and milled right here in the United States. Flour this good uses only the purest ingredients, free from GMOs.  As a founding B Corporation, we are committed to using the power of business as a force for social and environmental good. We believe every employee’s contributions make our company what it is: vibrant, successful, and committed to spreading the joy of baking. We are a welcoming and inclusive 100% employee-owned company.

The Position: The Associate Brand Manager- Innovation is a key member of the team responsible for helping advance the company’s aggressive innovation agenda. The Associate Brand Manager- Innovation will help in identifying, evaluating, prioritizing and executing business opportunities in alignment with our vision, values, strategic growth initiatives, and consumer needs. This position is at the hub of our cross-functional product development efforts and requires hands-on analytical skills, project management accountability, and the ability to understand the current and future baking consumers. This role provides project management support as initiatives move from Concept Commercialization and works to glean further insights from the Launch and Post-launch Review.

The Benefits: Yes, we have the regular “stuff” – medical, dental, vision, company paid short- and long-term disability, life insurance, paid parental leave, paid time off to rest, paid holidays to have fun, a 401(K) with a company match. But here’s what makes us different: 40 paid volunteer hours a year, profit sharing*, participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)* and knowing that those working with you are dedicated and engaged co-employee owners that believe in you and your extraordinary abilities to move us all forward.

The Location: Hybrid combining working from home, and onsite in White River Junction VT roughly twice a month. Ideal candidates will be located within a 2–3-hour drive of our offices.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Develops a deep understanding of our consumers through market research. Obtains and interprets product, market, and consumer data utilizing all available tools; integrates data from multiple sources to develop consumer insights to inform the innovation pipeline.
• Works closely with Brand Manager-Innovation to develop the product pipeline, working to ensure consumer, customer and retailer needs are met, while imagining unarticulated needs.
• Participates in a the cross-functional development process for Innovation Projects, leading individual initiatives from concept through to commercialization, including product development, packaging, and creation of sell-in materials.
• Assists in developing, sizing, prioritizing and managing strategic product plan; provides ongoing communication to a cross-functional team.
• Supports annual brand plans for all Year 1 Innovation, including forecasting and marketing, in coordination with Brand Marketing, Editorial, Digital, Content, Shopper Marketing, Direct and outside vendors/agencies.
• Inform Year 1 forecast for monthly S&OP meetings using syndicated data, promotions, and distribution changes.

Education And Experience

• 1-3 years’ experience in a Brand or similar marketing or marketing research role
• Prior experience working for a consumer-packaged goods (CPG) company strongly preferred
• General understanding of sales and marketing of consumer products with food industry experience preferred
• Proficiency in using external research, including syndicated data from Nielsen, IRI, and/or SPINS
• Bachelor’s Degree, MBA a plus
• We value those who can demonstrate capability and articulate how prior experiences will help them transition into this role

Competencies

Leadership: Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to inspire and motivate a team, foster collaboration, and drive results.

Collaboration: Able to influence and motivate a cross-functional team to ensure cooperative effort toward a common goal. Works across various teams, including sales, marketing, finance, and creative to ensure project objectives are aligned to and achieved.

Consumer Centric: Able to think like a consumer and understand the mindset of the end user/baker.

Analytical skills: Uses data analytics and financial metrics to make informed decisions throughout the innovation process. Analyzes market dynamics and consumer research to provide recommendations.

Financial Acumen: Proficient at budgeting with an understanding of the components and drivers of a P&L, using that knowledge to make informed decisions

Growth Mindset: Strong desire to learn and apply new concepts while remaining open to change and recommending actions for continuous improvement

Project Management and Planning: Expertise in project management methodologies to plan, execute, and monitor ongoing projects. Skill in defining project scope, objectives/KPIs, timelines, and resource allocation.

Highly organized, motivated and detail oriented: Has, or can create a system for keeping tasks on point and on time. Able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. Plans ahead to make deadlines.

Success Factors

• Entrepreneurial self-starter comfortable with ambiguity and adaptable to new/changing processes
• Genuine enthusiasm for the King Arthur’s mission and products and a commitment to living our values
• Is community minded gets involved, volunteers

Physical Requirements/Work Environment/Safety

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical requirements

This role consistently uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.

Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.

• Work environment

Indoors, a normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, or temperature changes. This role operates in a professional office environment where most work is performed at a desk. A remote work environment that meets KAB standards for work.

• Safety

Understands that safety is the responsibility of everyone at the organization and is responsible for adhering to/providing work in a safe and ergonomic manner, identifying unsafe conditions and correcting conditions immediately or reporting them promptly.

Participates in safety and compliance training and safety and health programs.

Environment

• Adheres to company-wide green norms, looks for ways to reduce, reuse, recycle
• Educates oneself on KAB environmental campaigns
• Strives to continually improve and implement new processes to reduce our environmental impact

Travel

• Up to 15% travel

Uniform

• Business casual.

Other Duties

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive and safe work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers, and vendors. As a proud Benefit Corporation, King Arthur Baking expects our employees to adhere to company-wide green norms and remain educated on company impact campaigns.

There’s room at our table for you!  Apply today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors protected by law. King Arthur Baking Company provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to participate in both the application process and during employment. Such individuals are encouraged to seek accommodations to allow them to apply for a position, participate in the application process, and meet the essential functions and requirements of the position.

• Amounts vary based on achievement of financial targets. Participation based on hire date and program entry date.