Director, Innovation Marketing

Company Description

Simple Mills is on a mission to transform the way food is made, creating nourishing products with astounding ingredients and amazing taste. Founded in 2012 by Katlin Smith, our brand has redefined center-aisle grocery by delivering better-for-you products made with unique, nutrient-dense ingredients. Today, we’re a category leader and the #1 natural brand in multiple segments, with distribution in over 30,000 stores nationwide.

Now, as part of Flowers Foods, we’re entering an exciting new phase of growth—expanding our reach, accelerating innovation, and amplifying brand awareness, all while preserving the integrity of what makes Simple Mills special. Our commitment to using simple, high-quality ingredients ensures that every bite is both delicious and nutritious. Whether it’s watermelon seed flour in our cookies or butternut squash in our crackers, we craft our products with innovative, wholesome ingredients that deliver extraordinary taste.

Our work has been recognized by Fast Company as a Brand That Matters and a Most Innovative Company, and has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Women’s Health, and NPR’s How I Built This. In 2024, Inc. named us one of its Best Workplaces, reflecting our dedication to fostering an inspiring and inclusive environment where passionate individuals can make a difference.

Join us as we shape the future of food. Learn more at www.simplemills.com.

Requirements

Role Description

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:

Shape the Growth Agenda 

• 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. 

Lead Consumer-Centered Innovation 

• 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. 

Deliver Innovation from Concept to Launch 

• 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. 

Drive Commercial Impact 

• 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. 

Build High-Performing Teams 

• 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

Position Requirements

• 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. 

Benefits

Working at Simple Mills

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.

Why Join Us?

• Be a Change-Maker
  Play a key role in redefining the food industry, crafting products that nourish people and contribute to a healthier planet.
• Thrive in a Mission-Driven Community
  Work alongside a dynamic team of innovators and food lovers who are committed to positive change and bold ideas.
• A Workplace Where You Belong
  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.
• A Culture of Integrity and Impact
  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.
• Grow with People-First Leadership
  Our supportive leadership team is dedicated to mentorship, collaboration, and your long-term success.
• Continuous Learning & Development
  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.

Benefits

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. 

Work Model at Simple Mills

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.

At Simple Mills, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect and inclusion. Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, past or present military service, physical or mental disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications. #LI-DNI

Simple Mills is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Simple Mills will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@simplemills.com.