Director, Innovation Marketing

About Simple Mills Founded in 2012, Simple Mills is a leading provider of better-for-you crackers, cookies, snack bars, and baking mixes made with simple and nutritious high-quality ingredients that deliver extraordinary taste. Simple Mills has disrupted center-aisle grocery categories to become the #1 natural cracker, cookie, and baking mix brand and one of the top 5 snack bars in the natural channel with distribution in over 30,000 stores nationwide. Its mission is to revolutionize the way food is made to nourish people and planet. For more information, visit www.simplemills.com.

Simple Mills

Astounding Ingredients. Amazing Taste.

Non-GMOGrain-FreeNatural FoodPaleo-FriendlyHealth & WellnessGluten FreeOrganicInnovationBakingSnacking

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S

www.simplemills.com

51-200 employees

Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Chicago, Illinois

2012

Privately Held

60k LinkedIn followers

Raised $7.2M

• At Simple Mills, innovation is essential to advancing our mission of improving both people and planetary health. The Director, Innovation Marketing will shape the company's growth agenda by identifying emerging consumer needs and market opportunities and translating them into breakthrough platforms, innovation pipelines, and product launches that strengthen our portfolio, create meaningful consumer value, and deliver sustainable growth. This leader will position Simple Mills to win in an increasingly dynamic and competitive better-for-you food landscape.
• Working across the organization, the Director will define where we play and how we win by identifying and prioritizing growth opportunities using consumer, category, and macro insights. They will align senior leaders and cross-functional teams around a shared innovation vision, accelerate ideas from concept to commercialization, and build the capabilities, processes, and culture required to sustain long-term growth and competitive advantage.
• The ideal candidate is a strategic and entrepreneurial innovation leader with a proven track record of driving growth through successful product innovation, leading complex cross-functional initiatives, and building high-performing teams. They bring strong strategic and critical thinking skills, combine commercial acumen with deep consumer curiosity, and share a passion for natural foods, wellness, and the role food plays in improving overall health.
• This position reports to the Head of Innovation & Mission. Key responsibilities include
• Define innovation strategy and build multi-year growth pipelines across core, adjacent, and emerging categories.
• Identify and prioritize growth opportunities through consumer insights, market trends, competitive intelligence, and whitespace analysis.
• Partner with Brand Marketing, Consumer Insights, R&D, and Commercial teams to align innovation priorities with business objectives.
• Influence enterprise growth priorities by partnering with executive leaders to evaluate growth opportunities, investment decisions, and portfolio tradeoffs.
• Establish innovation governance and decision-making frameworks that align resources, priorities, and long-term growth objectives.
• Strengthen innovation capabilities, processes, and ways of working to improve speed, quality, and impact.
• Drive portfolio prioritization and investment decisions to maximize growth potential and resource effectiveness.
• Translate insights into differentiated concepts, products, and platforms that create meaningful consumer value.
• Leverage research and experimentation to validate opportunities, reduce risk, and strengthen decision-making.
• Synthesize complex information into clear recommendations that influence business strategy and investment decisions.
• Lead cross-functional teams through the end-to-end innovation process, from opportunity identification through commercialization.
• Partner with R&D to develop products that deliver on consumer expectations, business objectives, and brand standards.
• Ensure initiatives achieve financial, strategic, and operational objectives while proactively managing risk and execution.
• Balance long-term innovation ambitions with near-term business priorities and performance goals.
• Build compelling business cases and innovation plans that support growth and profitability objectives.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to ensure successful commercialization through compelling positioning, sales stories, and go-to-market strategies.
• Establish clear success metrics and post-launch performance tracking to ensure innovation initiatives deliver expected business results.
• Monitor innovation portfolio performance and recommend resource allocation adjustments to maximize growth and profitability.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Innovation team.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and critical thinking.
• Build organizational capability by developing talent, succession plans, and future innovation leaders.
• Performs other projects as assigned

• 10-12+ years of progressive experience in food, beverage, wellness, or consumer packaged goods innovation, marketing, strategy, or general management, including significant responsibility for developing and commercializing growth-driving innovation.
• Bachelors Required, MBA strongly preferred.
• Deep passion for natural foods and the connection between food, human health, and planetary wellness. Demonstrated curiosity about emerging food, wellness, and cultural trends. Knowledge of regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience leading innovation pipelines, portfolio decisions, and cross-functional commercialization efforts at scale.
• Demonstrated success defining innovation strategy, building multi-year growth pipelines, and delivering innovation that drives revenue growth, profitability, and strategic business objectives.
• Experience shaping growth strategies and influencing enterprise-level business decisions.
• Experience working in both large, complex organizations and entrepreneurial, high-growth environments.
• Proven track record leading cross-functional teams to deliver breakthrough, category-shaping, or new-to-the-world innovation from concept through commercialization.
• Deep expertise across the innovation process, including opportunity identification, consumer insights, concept and positioning development, product development, commercialization, business case development, financial analysis, and portfolio management.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience evaluating growth opportunities, making investment recommendations, and managing innovation-related investment decisions.
• Strategic and disciplined thinker who can identify opportunities, set direction, and translate ambiguity into focused action. Able to operate seamlessly between long-term vision and executional detail.
• Entrepreneurial leader who thrives in ambiguity, makes sound decisions with incomplete information, and drives progress through influence and accountability.
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and influencing skills. Able to build alignment, challenge constructively, and confidently engage with leaders at all levels of the organization.
• Proven people leader with experience coaching, developing, and growing high-performing teams.
• An essential function of this role includes tasting and working in the vicinity of various food allergens.
• At Simple Mills, we’re not just building a brand, we’re leading a movement that’s transforming how food is made and enjoyed. If you’re passionate about purpose-driven work and crave a role where you can have a meaningful impact, this is your chance to be part of something bigger.

• Play a key role in redefining the food industry, crafting products that nourish people and contribute to a healthier planet.
• Work alongside a dynamic team of innovators and food lovers who are committed to positive change and bold ideas.
• We foster an environment where every voice is heard, valued, and empowered. Inclusion and belonging are at the heart of our culture, ensuring that everyone can thrive.
• We don’t just talk about doing good, we live it. Our team is committed to ethical practices, responsible sourcing, and making decisions that drive real, positive change.
• Our supportive leadership team is dedicated to mentorship, collaboration, and your long-term success.
• Whether through hands-on training, innovative learning platforms, or career growth opportunities, we invest in your professional development.
• At Simple Mills, you’ll have the chance to make an impact while working in a collaborative and inspiring environment. If you’re ready to shape the future of food, let’s talk.
• We recognize that our people are our greatest asset. That’s why we offer a highly competitive total rewards package designed to support your financial well-being, health, and overall quality of life.
• Competitive Compensation: This role offers a salary range of $160,000 -$195,000
• Annual Bonus Opportunity: Eligible for an annual bonus as part of our commitment to recognizing team contributions and company success.
• Holistic Benefits: A variety of health, financial, and wellness programs to help you feel your best and plan for the future.
• Time to Recharge: We believe your best work comes when you have space to rest, refocus, and show up fully—our time off approach is built with that in mind.
• Everyday Well-Being: From lifestyle perks to innovation shipments, we find meaningful ways to support you in living simply and feeling well.
• We’re committed to taking care of our people—so you can focus on making an impact.
• Our work model is role-dependent and team focused. With remote, hybrid, or in-office positions, each role is classified by what best supports the needs of the team.
• This position will be hybrid: a balance of in-person and virtual work. Hybrid employees will work from our Chicago, IL office at least once per week. When working remotely, employees must work from a designated location in the United States (the new hire’s permanent residence, as documented in our HR System, Rippling) with sufficient internet access to support video conferencing. Safety protocols in accordance with CDC recommendations are followed.