Animal Farm

Description

Gorilla Mind, a leading performance supplements and energy drinks brand, is searching for an experienced Beverage (Energy Drink, Energy Shot(s), RTD(s)) expert to join our growing team. This person will be responsible for the end-to-end management of the manufacturing and commercialization process for all existing and future domestic and international beverage/liquid formats for the Gorilla Mind brand that ultimately align with the company’s business objectives. The ideal candidate will have experience in product development, business planning, product/portfolio strategy, packaging development, quality and compliance, and manufacturing, and also bring an understanding of the energy and hydration beverages industry, including customer and sales channel dynamics. The ideal candidate should be highly organized and exude professionalism, while also being an outstanding leader who provides ongoing strategic direction in working with a broad group of business operations, supply chain, manufacturing, finance, marketing, and retail sales leaders to ensure prioritization and successful execution of the full commercialization process.

Key Responsibilities:

• A key responsibility will be the day-to-day relationship management of current and future beverage manufacturers, as well as raw material suppliers. 
• Work directly with the SVP of Operations in order to optimize logistics and warehousing of all of our beverage SKUs.
• Assists the SVP of Product in the annual beverage commercialization strategy from ideation through full-scale production and execution that will meet the needs of target consumers.
• Helps to ensure in-year and out-year innovation pipeline goals are successfully and profitably achieved. 
• Coordinates with supply chain, operations, quality assurance, legal, finance, retail sales, and marketing to advance beverage commercialization initiatives profitably, successfully, and within budget.
• Work closely with SVP of Product and other leaders in developing new beverage products and will facilitate the alignment, approval, and execution of such plans, including required capital investments. 
• Assists in optimizing internal and external teams’ collaboration and advancement of all new beverage product initiatives.
• Works in close collaboration with the Chief Revenue Officer to optimize existing and new retail sales opportunities in various channels domestically and internationally - including the identification and commercialization of new product launches.
• Assists Supply-Chain with all beverage related demand and forecast initiatives
• Implements and establishes robust performance reporting mechanisms that cultivate and support data-driven decision-making across the beverage portfolio. 
• Monitors and reports on new innovation performance in relation to pre-defined revenue targets that are a part of the annual beverage commercialization plan.
• Successfully identify, implement, and lead the most effective processes, tools, and systems to ensure category-leading best practices.
• Participate in periodic retail sales team calls or in-person meetings as needed.
• Assists the SVP of Product in various elements and timing of the commercialization process, new product launches, and new brand/retail expansion with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify and enact ways to reduce costs across the beverage portfolio.
• Helps ensure all existing and new beverage products are optimized for the highest possible quality standards while adhering to proper regulations and delivering sustained and profitable growth across the portfolio.
• Research and closely monitor competitor activities, new launches, and industry trends - and apply those learnings to the existing portfolio by making quarterly new product innovation/line extension recommendations to the business leaders for review and consideration.

Requirements:

• At least 7 years experience in a CPG environment managing complex commercialization initiatives.
• Demonstrated success in leading the ideation, design, and execution of small/medium and large capital projects in the beverage space (from $5MM-$20MM+).
• Strong people skills and ability to lead and find solutions within ambiguous situations.
• Experience with new innovation processes and product launch initiatives from initial ideation through to full-scale commercialization and production. 
• Hands-on experience prioritizing running multiple new launch initiatives, production, and innovation simultaneously.
• Proven track record in working collaboratively with multiple internal and external stakeholders, along with strong cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time 
• Strong oral, written, and verbal communication skills with exceptional leadership and management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and negotiation skills.
• Self-motivated, who can work independently and proactively to resolve issues, take ownership of tools and processes, and lead with minimal supervision.
• BA/BS or equivalent University degree. Master’s degree preferred. 
• Additional retail sales channel knowledge and experience are preferred. 
• A passion for health and fitness, nutritional supplements, and/or functional food/beverage products is a plus.

Pay Transparency:

The base salary range for this position is $90,000-120,000/year. The total compensation package may include performance bonuses, benefits, and/or other applicable compensation plans.

At Animal Farm Family, we aim to provide all team members with competitive wages and salaries that are motivating, fair, and equitable. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors unique to each candidate, including, but not limited to, skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. 

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 9 Paid Holidays
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Parental leave
• Employee Discounts