Senior Manager, DCS Protein & Functional Snacking

Job Location: Hershey, PA

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Senior Brand Manager, Demand Creation Strategy (DCS) & Innovation - Functional Snacking & Protein is responsible for leading highimpact growth initiatives across priority snacking platforms by identifying, shaping, and delivering consumerled innovation and brand strategies. This role owns the development and execution of specific demand spaces and innovation initiatives-from insight to commercialization to postlaunch learning-within the broader platform and portfolio strategy.

Operating in a highly complex and ambiguous environment, the role partners closely with crossfunctional teams to translate unmet and undermet consumer needs into differentiated offerings that drive incremental growth. Success requires strong strategic thinking, a proven track record of innovation launches, comfort challenging conventional thinking, and the ability to influence and integrate across functions to move work forward.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Demand Creation & Whitespace Leadership

Identify and develop specific demand spaces within Functional Snacking & Protein by leveraging consumer insights, category trends, and performance data. Translate unmet consumer needs into clear strategies and initiative roadmaps that align with brand and business priorities and expand presence in underdeveloped or highgrowth spaces.

Innovation Development & Pipeline Contribution

Lead assigned innovation initiatives through ideation, concept development, and stagegate processes in partnership with Brand Marketing, R&D, and Consumer Insights. Ensure concepts are strategically sound, consumerled, and financially viable, and ready to advance within the broader innovation pipeline.

Commercialization & GotoMarket Ownership

Own endtoend gotomarket strategy for new product launches and key growth initiatives, including positioning, activation plans, and crosschannel execution. Partner with Sales, Shopper Marketing, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to ensure strong alignment and flawless inmarket execution.

Performance Management & Learning Loops

Monitor and assess initiative performance across consumer, customer, and financial metrics. Lead postlaunch lookbacks to evaluate success, identify gaps, and capture learnings that inform future innovation, portfolio decisions, and demand creation strategies.

CrossFunctional Integration & Influence

Serve as the daytoday integrator across Marketing, Insights, R&D, Finance, Sales, and Supply Chain. Influence stakeholders without direct authority, proactively surface risks and tradeoffs, and help accelerate decisions in a fastmoving, matrixed organization.

CAPABILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS

Strategic & Analytical Thinking

Ability to synthesize insights from multiple sources and connect data to strategy. Demonstrated comfort making recommendations in ambiguity and balancing consumer opportunity with financial and operational realities.

Innovation & Category Expertise

Proven experience leading or significantly contributing to successful innovation launches within CPG, preferably in food, snacking, or adjacent categories. Strong understanding of consumer behavior, category dynamics, and emerging trends, with a track record of identifying whitespace opportunities.

EndtoEnd Initiative Ownership

Strong project leadership skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously from early concept through commercialization. Familiarity with stagegate processes and crossfunctional ways of working.

Influence & Collaboration

Effective communicator with the ability to build trust, challenge thinking constructively, and influence outcomes across functions and levels. Comfortable operating in environments that require integration, speed, and judgment.

Agility & Problem Solving

Thrives in complexity and change. Willing to question norms, adapt plans as new learning emerges, and maintain momentum on critical initiatives.

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field required; MBA preferred
• Experience: 7-10 years of experience in brand management, innovation, strategy, or category leadership within CPG (food experience strongly preferred)
• Required Experience Includes:




• Ownership of innovation initiatives or launches
• Translating consumer insights into actionable strategies
• Influencing crossfunctional teams in a matrixed organization

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans.

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