Sr. Manager of Pet Parent Experiences & Digital Products- Blue Buffalo

Company: General Mills, Inc.
Location: Wilton
Posted on: June 13, 2021

Job Description:

Blue Buffalo (BLUE), is one of the strongest and most recognized pet food brands in America, and the undisputed leader in Wholesome Natural pet food, the fastest growing segment of the market. At over four times the size of the next largest brand in this segment, BLUE has become the new mainstream brand that's delivering products that pet parents are looking for, and connecting with them in a true, authentic way. BLUE thinks of dogs and cats as family members, and believes their food should be natural and healthy. In fact, this was the motivation for the Bishop Family's decision to create the Blue Buffalo Company. When the beloved Bishop family dog, Blue, faced a variety of health issues, Bill and his two sons, Billy and Chris, set out to create a pet food that was made with only the highest quality natural ingredients-the kind of things a family member deserves. Fifteen years later BLUE has, in many ways, accomplished what the Bishops set out to do-help our dogs and cats live happy, healthy lives. BLUE has a broad portfolio of natural pet foods, enabling pet parents to satisfy their pet's specific dietary, lifestyle and life-stage needs, offering them no-compromise product solutions. About Blue Buffalo Founded in 2003 in Wilton, Connecticut, Blue Buffalo is the leader in premium quality, all-natural pet nutrition. Our brand has experienced double and triple-digit annual growth over the past several years through strong ads, strategic marketing programs, and innovative product releases. Purpose of this Role "Love Them Like Family, Feed them Like Family". This is an exciting time to be part of the Blue Buffalo family, the company is on a journey to revolutionize relationships with consumers (Pet Parents). This role is key to Blue Buffalo's growth strategy: cultivating deeper, more meaningful relationships with consumers (Pet Parents) that will drive incremental value and loyalty to Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo wants to be there to support consumers (Pet Parents) during all the moments that matter in their lives, so more consumers (Pet Parents) who love them like family can feed them like family. We are seeking the Sr. Manager of Consumer (Pet Parent) Experiences & Digital Products to join our Blue Buffalo Team and report directly to the Senior Director of Consumer (Pet Parent) Experience. The Sr. Manager of Consumer (Pet Parent) Experiences & Digital Products will help shape the future of Blue Buffalo by incubating and launching new Consumer (Pet Parent) experiences that deliver and exceed Consumer (Pet Parent) expectations, while delivering on business growth targets. In this role, you will apply your strategic thinking and passion for product design to lead and inspire your team to experiment, innovate and launch differentiated omni-channel experiences that grow Pet Parent engagement and loyalty with Blue Buffalo. You'll work cross-functionally to define the strategies needed to meet Consumer (Pet Parent) needs across touch-points and throughout the Consumer (Pet Parent) lifecycle, while orchestrating the launch of new product(s) and features that drive incremental value to Blue Buffalo. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Strategy Define and develop Consumer (Pet Parent) experience-led capabilities and processes needed to deliver meaningful Pet Parent experiences. Oversee the definition of new experience product strategies and partner cross-functionally on the development of value cases to bring to life new experience products. Play a strategic role in understanding marketplace trends to identify strategic platform partnerships that advance and grow our consumer (Pet Parent) experiences through integrated features and functionality. Leadership Manage a team of Pet Parent Experience Strategist(s) and Experience Product Manager(s); guiding experience efforts and ensuring connectivity across omni-channel efforts. Oversee the development, pilots and launches of new experience strategies and digital products, working with Brand & Strategy, MarTech, Performance & Optimization team members to define test & learn strategies to inform digital product roll-out in market. Oversee the development of Consumer (Pet Parent) segments and the supporting Consumer (Pet Parent) journeys, ensuring journeys are continuously updated to account for shifting consumer behaviors and preferences across channels. Teamwork + Product Work cross-functionally to ensure experience strategies and products are developed to meet in-market CRM, loyalty and omni-channel objectives. Partner with Consumer (Pet Parent) Care lead to ensure connected and relevant consumer (Pet Parent) engagement and support across digital products, experiences and channels Guide experience product development, directly working with MarTech and IT leads, as needed to ensure experience platforms are developed and meet broader IT infrastructure requirements. Oversee agency and partner/vendors relationships in collaboration with MarTech and IT team members on experience platform requirements and integration needs for holistic experience ecosystem management. Work closely with Digital Marketing and Brand & Strategy leaders to ensure Pet Parent experiences are being developed, managed and optimized to deliver on holistic strategic business objectives, as well as, at the program and campaign level. Partner closely with Performance & Optimization lead to define the measurement frameworks and KPIs that support defined experience product strategies. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BA/BS Degree in Marketing or related field. Minimum 10+ years' experience focused on B2C customer experience and brand strategy efforts. 5+ years' experience in product management and digital product design Visionary that can anticipate future products and build upon and evolve Blue Buffalo's experience platform. Prior experience developing Consumer experience programs with responsibility in managing cross-platform product experience vision and design, strong understanding of omni-channel experience delivery and management. Strong understanding of how consumer experiences can be designed and leveraged to drive loyalty Experience leading a multi-disciplined team, inclusive of digital product managers and designers. Ability to define and translate business requirements into prioritized roadmaps and initiatives. Adept at leading and working with cross-functional teams (i.e., UX/UI, Brand, Finance, Customer Service and Finance) and managing dependencies tied to strategic product roadmaps. Experience working in agile rhythms and familiarity with agile product release schedules. Track record of delivering measurable results tied to business objectives. Knowledge of digital consumer trends and ability to apply insights and trends to inform and develop multi-channel strategies and plans. Highly collaborative with exceptional storytelling /communication skills - written and verbal. Must be comfortable working in a pet-friendly office. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Positive attitude, inclusive leadership qualities, and flexible team-oriented approach to working with others. Internal consulting skills; ability to facilitate consensus across multiple stakeholders Ability to handle multiple simultaneous projects while effectively balancing scope, resourcing, time, and quality. Self-starter with ability to clearly communicate strategic initiatives. Pet enthusiast preferred. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for a U.S. work visa. Relocation support will be offered to applicants within the United States. International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered. The location for this role is Wilton, CT - remote work-at-home applications will not be considered at this time. COMPANY OVERVIEW We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best - bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.

Keywords: General Mills, Inc., New England , Sr. Manager of Pet Parent Experiences & Digital Products- Blue Buffalo, Other , Wilton, Northeast