Associate Manager, Innovation & Incubation - Blue Sky

#MaesaMagic   

Maesa is the world's largest independent beauty incubator, housing numerous, fast growing "it" brands within all categories of beauty. We are a high growth global company in the middle of the transition from founder lead to private equity owned. With an incubation flywheel ideating on new global brand launches, Maesa pushes creative and technical boundaries to deliver exceptional performance and establish global staying power. Maesa has a keen focus on marketing and white space analysis, which guides its thinking on marketing existing brands as well as development of new brands through its extremely unique structure. We are vertically integrated globally with in-house marketing, branding, product development/formulation, packaging design/engineering and regulatory. With a focus on modernity and sustainability, we design innovative solutions and make proactive choices to achieve environmental neutrality and consumer wellness. Maesa has mastered "commercializing creativity," making itself a leader in the fundamental revolutionary change in the beauty industry. Headquartered in New York and Paris, with additional offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Dongguan, Maesa employs about 400 team members worldwide. 

Maesa is currently seeking a passionate beauty & wellness expert to join our Incubation team to build winning future brands. The role will work closely with the Senior Manager & Director of Incubation & innovation to support the strategy and development of new brands that are key to the organization’s commercial goals and future success. Responsible for translating market trends, insights and competitive data into consumer centric brands and product experiences. Our ideal candidate is a creative thinker with their finger on the pulse of beauty, fragrance and wellness and is enthusiastic about building the future of beauty. Open to immersing themselves in trends and customer-centric data to define and steer new brand concepts – driving Maesa forward as the leader in beauty and wellness incubation.  

The Associate Manager role reports to the Senior Manager of Brand Incubation & Product Innovation.   

This role is based in NYC and you will be expected in office 3 days a week.

Responsibilities   

STRATEGY  

• Partner with Senior Manager & Director of I&I to drive successful new brand strategy that supports overall business objectives  
• Support incubation initiatives through analysis of competitive market, category trends and consumer data to leverage data-driven insights and identify white spaces for differentiated new brand opportunities   
• Support Senior Manager in driving creation and development of all pieces of new brand development – including concepting, positioning, product assortment, naming, packaging and more  
• Attend contract manufacturer presentations to evaluate innovations/technologies in ingredients/formula/packaging  for future innovation 
• Partner with cross-functional development leads (Industrial Design, Creative Studio, Packaging, R&D, Operations) to drive vision and commercial viability for each project  
• Support creation of pitch presentations to internal and external stakeholders  
• Organize and participate in brainstorming sessions  
• Research and identify potential founders and brand ambassadors  

DEVELOPMENT  

• Identify white space in market and/or brand portfolio and translate into meaningful NPD  
• Develop comprehensive product, fragrance, design briefs that inspire creativity  
• Spearhead evaluation of packaging, formulas & fragrances working closely with all stakeholders  
• Partner with internal regulatory and R&D teams on claims and testing strategy; drive strategy forward  
• Be internal product expert on formula, ingredients, benefits, usage, relevance to portfolio   
• Drive product naming and copy writing on pack & all brand materials  
• Collaborate closely with design team to ensure aesthetic aligns with brand identity    
• Foster collaborative working relationship with cross-functional teams & key stakeholders to ensure execution of development phases including R&D, packaging, sales, regulatory, project management, legal, brand marketing.   

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:  

• Beauty, wellness, fragrance lover!  
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (business, marketing, product development, etc.) 
• 2-4 years' experience in brand marketing, innovation, product and/or fragrance development. Experience in beauty, wellness or personal care categories preferred.  
• Creative & strategic thinker with passion for driving innovation + staying ahead of market trends in beauty 
• A team player with an upbeat and positive attitude 
• Thrive in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment with ability to operate independently & cross-functionally 
• Strong analytic, organizational and communication skills with acute attention to detail 
• Great oral, written and presentation skills 
• Ability to process and interpret sales data (IRI, Nielsen, etc.) 
• Microsoft experience is a must 

What We Offer   

$75,000/yr - $85,000/yr. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location. This position is eligible for participation in a discretionary bonus plan based on individual and company performance.  

Maesa offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees. Employees can choose to enroll in health insurance coverage, wellness programs, life and disability insurance, and retirement savings plans. Through generous paid time off, a hybrid office setup, and paid leave options, Maesa encourages wellness and balance among employees

Our Commitment to You   

At Maesa, we live by our values of collaboration, curiosity, game-changing, creativity, and discipline.  We believe our people and partners are a creative force that catalyzes the possibilities in beauty to break through traditional limits and discover the “new” without restriction. We prioritize creating and fostering a welcoming environment for employees, partners, ideas, approaches, and endeavors — all through a spirit of warmth and inclusivity. As set forth in Maesa’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.   

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