Director, Brand Incubation & Product Innovation, Fragrance

#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 fragrance innovator with proven experience in beauty to join our product innovation & brand incubation team. This role spearheads the strategy & development of brands & products from ideation to launch across our fragrance portfolio. It offers a unique opportunity for someone wanting to leave their mark in the industry by shaping the future of the fragrance category. This role will work closely with cross-functional teams including Customer Development, Packaging, Design, R&D, Supply Chain, Operations and Brand Marketing team. Ideal for someone who thrives in a high energy, entrepreneurial environment, this role offers the ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively with stakeholders and leaders. 

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

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

Responsibilities   

Retailer Management:  

• Lead retailer meetings to present innovation strategies and new product development initiatives  
• Analyze retail sales to identify top sellers, category & product trends, white space opportunities
• Partner with cross-functional customer development & brand marketing teams to ensure retailer deliverables are met  
• Deep understanding of retail environment, businesses, competitive landscape, sales data 

Innovation Strategy:   

• Drive creation, development & execution of innovation strategy + products for fragrance innovation, ensuring alignment with brand objectives
• Manage & oversee all aspects of product development lifecycle from concept to counter 
• Utilize data-driven insights to identify opportunities for product innovation and market differentiation 

Product & Fragrance Development:   

• Olfactive knowledge with ability to evaluate fragrance submissions for optimizations 
• Partner with core fragrance houses to fully execute briefs from creation to production  
• Identify white space opportunities & translate into meaningful NPD concepts  
• Present product concepts & development stages to leadership team, retail partners & sales counterparts  
• Spearhead creation of compelling product concepts, applying sharp copywriting skills to articulate unique selling propositions & brand narrative  
• Partner with R&D to drive formula development process across fragrance brands 

Creative & Production Execution: 

• Manage cross-functional team and processes, ensuring project stays on-time and hits GM targets
• Collaborate closely with design to ensure aesthetics align with brand identity & resonate with consumers 
• Oversee full artwork mechanical process from design to final production  

Market Research & Consumer Insights 

• Expert in fragrance category trends, market dynamics, consumer insights
• Lead & present ongoing category trends, competitive intelligence and market analysis 
• Collect & organize necessary product documentation to support go-to market needs  
• Partner with suppliers for innovation, trends, new technologies, formulas  
• Leverage data analysis to inform product development decisions, ensuring that each product aligns with market demands and preferences.   

Cross-Functional Collaboration:  

• Foster a collaborative environment by working closely with cross-functional teams & key stakeholders, including marketing, project management, packaging, R&D, regulatory, sales, operations & buyers to ensure seamless execution of product launches.  

Leadership & Team Management: 

• Lead and inspire a team of passionate innovators, managing professional development and talent 
• Manage annual goal setting, ensuring metrics mirror company-wide initiatives  

Qualifications and Requirements 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study (business, marketing, product development, etc.); MBA preferred 
• 6-8 years of experience in product and fragrance development or beauty industry 
• Data savvy: proficient in data-driven decision-making and utilizing data analytics tools 
• Experience as a people manager and category leader  
• Flexibility & resilience to work collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment  
• Strong strategic, analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills   
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills with acute attention to detail 
• Excellent oral & written communication  
• Creative thinker with a passion for driving innovation and staying ahead of market trends in the beauty industry 
• Able to convert product/customer feedback into insights that drive development of new products 
• Social media aware   
• Creative, innovative & organized 
• A team player & aspiring team leader   
• Curious & passionate about products & the consumer   
• A self-starter with the ability to operate independently  
• Flexible & open to take on additional responsibilities when needed 
• A problem solver who can deal with ambiguity 
• Action and results oriented 
• PASSION FOR ALL THINGS FRAGRANCE! 

What We Offer   

$135,000/yr - $155,000/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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