Innovation Brand Manager - Disruptive Growth

About Us

We are the Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements (VMS) Co-Op, a consortium of rapidly expanding companies including OLLY, SmartyPants, and upcoming acquisitions. This position belongs to OLLY.

Role Overview

We are seeking a visionary Innovation Brand Manager focused on disruptive growth to propel OLLY's future. This role requires someone who identifies opportunities where others see obstacles, thrives on creating novel concepts, and rapidly converts insights into scalable business platforms. The position centers on early stage innovation, employing a startup mentality to build, validate, and launch new products, categories, formats, and business models.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead innovation initiatives from concept through to validation and launch, acting like a founder with a balance of vision and execution, embracing learning from failures and overcoming internal challenges creatively.
• Forecast developments in culture, technology, science, and consumer behavior to spot unmet needs and create entirely new growth platforms and categories.
• Manage rapid testing cycles including insight development, prototyping, consumer validation, and commercialization utilizing lean experiments that maximize learning while minimizing risk.
• Develop new business opportunities by exploring novel technologies, ingredients, formats, services, and business models in collaboration with R&D, Branding, Commercial, Operations, Finance, and external partners.
• Build and maintain a robust innovation pipeline characterized by fast learning, consumer insight-driven concepts, and potential to generate substantial future revenue while fostering a culture of experimentation and intelligent risk-taking.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate excels at building from the ground up with a strong action orientation and clear strategic insight. They are curious, constantly exploring emerging trends and consumer behavior, challenge assumptions respectfully, make confident decisions despite uncertainty, and transform setbacks into learning opportunities. The candidate is an inspiring storyteller who balances creativity with commercial pragmatism and exhibits resilience, optimism, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Required Capabilities and Experience

• At least five years in innovation, venture building, product development, strategy, design thinking, or business creation roles.
• Proven track record of launching new products, brands, platforms or businesses from ideation to market introduction.
• Deep understanding of consumer insights, innovation techniques, and experimentation frameworks.
• Strong collaboration skills to work across functions and effectively manage ambiguity.
• Preference for experience in fast-paced, entrepreneurial, or high-growth settings.
• Industry experience in consumer packaged goods, health & wellness, consumer products, technology, or innovation-driven sectors is highly preferred.

Interview Process

• Initial video screening with Talent team member
• First round interviews with Hiring Manager and 1-2 team members
• Second round involving 2-3 conversations with cross-functional colleagues
• Final round called Homework, requiring candidates to answer and present three questions given in advance; accommodations available upon request.

Position Details

• Location: Remote within the USA, requiring up to 4 annual company offsite travels
• Employment: Full-time, exempt (salary)
• Reports to: VP of Brand Strategy & Innovation
• Work Authorization: Candidates must be authorized to work in the US without sponsorship
• Salary Range: $116,000 to $140,000 annually, dependent on location and experience

Benefits

• Collaborative, inspiring, and enjoyable team environment
• Full coverage of employee-only medical, dental, orthodontics, and vision insurance premiums
• Four weeks paid time off, paid holidays, plus 12 designated Mental Health Days annually
• Fully paid parental leave along with fertility and adoption support benefits
• Annual bonus incentives
• 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions
• Hybrid work options along with wellness and cell phone stipends
• Complimentary products
• Additional benefits available