Summary

Himalaya Wellness is seeking an Innovation Project Manager to lead execution of North American innovation and renovation projects, ensuring initiatives launch on-time, on-scope, and on-budget.

Reporting to the Sr. Manager of Innovation, you will be responsible for overseeing product launches to achieve volume, share and revenue goals. Responsibilities will include managing timelines, budgets, vendor activities and consistent communication with cross-functional stakeholders on project progress, roadblocks and launch timing.

You will collaborate internally with North American brand marketing, sales, R&D and operations teams, as well as Himalaya team members globally in the Dubai and Bangalore hubs.

In this role, you will join an organization with high expectations for strategic thinking and on-point execution. We are looking for a candidate who can be flexible and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, changing environment. We seek to hire and support individuals who ask questions and uncover ways to improve strategies and tactics involving our brands, operations, and go-to market activities.

Himalaya’s tremendous growth provides our employees with many new career and development opportunities. We’re looking for teammates who are driven, eager to learn, and excited about the opportunity for future career

Duties & Responsibilities

• Leads management and execution of North American innovation and renovation projects, ensuring that initiatives launch on-time, on-scope, and on-budget.
• Partners with innovation, R&D and operations teams to set-up project scope, deliverables, timing, budget, and milestones for all projects.
• Establishes project schedules and oversees all micro activities within the product development process from inception through project completion—including formulation, packaging, testing, artwork development, stability, and production.
• Gathers vendor cost estimates and manages budget approvals and budget tracking for all new items.
• Builds and maintains strong working relationships across multiple internal teams, including brand marketing, sales, R&D, operations, packaging, legal, among others. Depending on the project, team members may also include global Himalaya colleagues located in Dubai and India.
• Effectively communicates with stakeholders on project progress, risks/roadblocks and launch timing. Maintains project trackers with status updates for stakeholders to reference as needed.
• Organizes and leads project update meetings for brand marketing, sales, and US leadership team. Crafts agenda, provides status, reviews potential risks and recaps next steps as needed.
• Proactively identifies risks and issues within projects; Troubleshoots and leads risk mitigation and contingency planning to avoid launch delay.
• Leads post-launch "lessons learned" exercise with cross-functional teams, integrating learnings into existing processes for future efficiencies.
• Coordinates prototype distribution and consolidation of feedback on new items requiring sensory evaluation (e.g. gummies, toothpaste, face cream).
• Manages timing and deliverables for product registration in international markets (Canada, Latin America, Caribbean).
• Documents processes and helps write Standard Operating Procedures that define best-in-class practices for project launch activities.
• Builds knowledge and expertise by seeking out additional training and staying up to date on industry news and trends.

Required Qualifications

• Project Management Skills – Proven success managing a portfolio of projects and an ability to handle multiple competing priorities. Experience building and maintaining Project Management materials, such as status documents, resourcing plans, and schedules is required. Familiarity with project management tools (e.g. Asana or MS Project) and a Stage Gate product development process is preferred.
• Communication Skills – Able to effectively partner and build relationships with team members at all levels, including global colleagues. Communicates in a professional, diplomatic, and tactful manner. Experienced in presenting to senior management.
• Computer Skills – Proficient in MS Office programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel PowerPoint. • Process Driven – Must excel at helping to define processes and document SOPs.
• Solutions Oriented – Capable of calmly troubleshooting issues that arise in projects. Creatively brainstorms solutions, communicates updates, and drives decision-making alignment with stakeholders.
• Embraces Change – Able to learn quickly and adapt to new ways of working in a high-growth culture. Excited to make improvement recommendations and to implement organizational change. Comfortable with ambiguity and able to navigate through uncertainty.
• Self-Motivated – Must be self-motivated and maintain highly effective habits working with a remote team and having only periodic in-person contact with colleagues and leadership.
• Sense of Urgency – Has a bias for action and is able to ensure projects move forward in a timely manner. Ensures timely feedback to global colleagues and vendor partners. Quickly resolves any issues that pause project progression.
• Passionate About Wellness – Knowledge of and personal involvement with natural products and health & wellness is not required, but is a definite a plus!

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of and personal involvement with natural products and a healthy lifestyle

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus, commensurate with experience
• Company benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, disability & 401(k)

Experience

• 5+ years of relevant job experience in a product development or CPG project management role.