Summary of Responsibilities: 

The Manager of New Product Development plays a key role in the success of Home Chef’s business by running projects within a key vertical of the New Product Development process. The candidate will be responsible for ideating, vetting and developing product ideas within their vertical and collaborating with stakeholders across the organization and with Kroger to bring these products to life. The position is part of the New Product Development team within Product and reports to a Senior Manager of New Product Development.

The role is based in Chicago, IL but remote to start.

Detailed Responsibilities:

• Product Line Ownership:
• Run projects within their respective vertical (e.g. ecomm, retail, deli) and serve as a partner within NPD in thinking about the next generation of products
• Provide input into future road maps and do everything necessary to ensure successful completion of the related projects
• Communicate and build alignment with internal and external stakeholders to remove roadblocks and prioritize projects




• Innovation & New Product Development:
• Work with all available internal and external stakeholders to innovate, ideate and develop new products, processes and customer experiences
• Source and stress test new product ideas in collaboration with Consumer Insights, Retail, Marketing and Kroger
• Interpret data, research and trends that impact the prepared foods and deli space and develop actionable insights for execution
• Integrate voice of customer into all aspects of the work and cooperate with Consumer Insights and 84.51 to transform these learnings into tangible actions




• Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Execution:
• Collaborate internally with Retail, Culinary, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, Ops and others to ensure smooth and successful delivery of projects
• Lead working teams to bring new projects from idea generation to full execution and rollout
• Communicate ongoing project updates and priorities within Home Chef to ensure organizational alignment
• Develop and source all inputs to shepherd projects through the Home Chef stage gate process




• Getting Stuff Done
• Take initiative and proactively find solutions to sticky challenges
• Constantly seek to optimize upcoming or launched products, thinking through ways to drive improvements to the top and bottom line
• Roll up your sleeves and be prepared to take on any task
• Take risks - be ready to test and learn, fail, pivot and try again
• This position requires 10-20% travel. 

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

• 2-4 years of experience in a rigorous fast-paced work environment – CPG/FMCG, product development, innovation, consulting, startups
• Ability to work within a scrappy ambiguous fast-moving environment
• Extremely detail-oriented and organized with the ability to develop and make progress against multiple concurrent project plans
• Data-driven decision maker who can use data to drive, validate and make progress against potential courses of action
• Ideal candidate will have experience working in the fresh and packaged food space, culinary and/or retail
• Self-starter inclined towards finding solutions and who is comfortable working independently and with a team
• Strong communicator and relationship builder
• Intellectually curious
• Must have a sense of urgency and be capable of dealing with fast-changing priorities and ambiguity
• No ego team player excited to solve a wide range of challenges
• Completion of 4-year degree

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