FEI Senior Lead, Business Models & Commercialization
Newell Brands · Atlanta
Job ID: 18598
Location: Atlanta, GA
Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.
The Front-End Innovation (FEI) Product Planning, Sr. Lead will play a key role within the business FEI team. Working collaboratively with their multi-functional POD partners, this individual will create and validate new business propositions from early opportunity through Charter readiness, integrating consumer value, business model design, financial viability, channel strategy, and go-to-market hypotheses.
They will be responsible for defining and validating a holistic proposition, from inception of the core idea (including benefits, claims, branding) to the business model recommendation. They will own identifying the critical questions/assumptions that will guide the team’s iterative learning process and work to evolve ideas as needed as they move through early-stage development, ensuring focus remains on the core job to be done. The FEI Product Planning, Sr. Lead is also responsible for ensuring that the holistic idea delivers the size and scale required by the Segment Business Model and builds the desired brand equity. They will be responsible for delivery of a viable Business Model. They will also be responsible for leading the development of the future pipeline.
Essential Functions & Duties
Functions and duties of this role include, but are not limited to:
- Architect and validate new business models for FEI opportunities, integrating consumer proposition, pricing, channel strategy, route-to-market, revenue model, cost structure, investment requirements, and scale economics. Build and run financial models in Excel, including scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and “what if” cases to size markets, project revenues, and test viability of new propositions.
- Define and pressure-test the critical assumptions behind each project, translating early-stage ideas into testable hypotheses, quantifiable business cases, and clear continue / pivot / shelve recommendations.
- Leading the development of the core opportunities/problem statements and subsequent jobs to be done
- Translating competitive and market insights provided by the Insights team into business model assumptions and financial implications, incorporating them into scenario planning, whitespace sizing, and opportunity prioritization
- Working with Consumer Shopper Insights to distill actionable insights from a holistic landscape assessment to serve as the foundation for ideation for the team
- Developing holistic propositions for consumer validation (including ideas, assortment / variants, claims, reason-to-believe, pricing, naming, and branding) and partnering with Insights and Design to optimize propositions based on learnings as needed
- Define the go-to-market hypothesis for FEI propositions, including target customer/channel, retailer value creation, pricing architecture, launch sequencing, assortment/SKU strategy, route-to-market, and required commercial capabilities.
- Working with the POD leader to engage Commercial counterparts early and throughout FEI to understand and incorporate the necessary Channel Value Creation scope elements that will maximize sell-in and distribution in support of the Business Model
- Partner with Brand, Sales, Finance, and IGM / Commercial teams to validate commercialization assumptions before Charter and ensure the downstream team inherits a proposition with a credible path to market.
- Assess build / buy / partner pathways and identify external partners, capabilities, or business model choices required to make the venture viable and scalable.
- Confirming sufficient trial potential to deliver the Business Model in partnership with CSI
- Partnering with Legal to deliver trademark and IP assessments as well as ensure the potential for compelling claims and demos, with a clear support plan in partnership with R&D and Legal
- Partner with the POD Leader to synthesize desirability, feasibility, and viability evidence into an investment-ready recommendation for senior leadership.
- Influencing key stakeholders with effective communication skills and storytelling
Qualifications
The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:
- Senior Manager: 8+ years of experience in innovation commercialization, MD&P, brand/business strategy, new business development, corporate strategy, management consulting, or business/financial modeling (with CPG or adjacent consumer-industry experience strongly preferred)
- Demonstrated experience taking an ambiguous opportunity from early hypothesis through proposition development, experimentation, business model validation, and an investment or commercialization decision.
- Strong understanding of CPG commercialization, including retailer/channel economics, pricing architecture, assortment, A&P requirements, volume development, customer value creation, and route-to-market considerations.
- Experience translating consumer and market insights into quantifiable business cases and holistic propositions that can scale across regions and retail channels
- Strong proficiency in Excel-based financial modeling (scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, “what if” cases), with proven experience defining and pressure-testing business model assumptions
- Experience bridging consumer insights with business implications to create viable business models
- Experience designing and testing go-to-market hypotheses before full commercialization, including channel, pricing, customer, assortment, and launch assumptions.
- Strong communication and storytelling skills to influence cross-functional stakeholders
- Ability to operate both at the "big idea" level and in the “weeds” of building stimulus
- Proven track record of working successfully cross-functionally across R&D, Insights, Design, Finance, Brand, and MD&P
- Experience with navigating ambiguity and adapting plans as new information emerges
- Experience working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, with proven experience with rapid, hypothesis-based iterative learning and testing
- A natural connector who can seek out internal and 3rd party expertise to bring in subject matter expertise to solve key project challenges
- Entrepreneurial, curious, and solutions-oriented mindset, with the ability to connect internal and external expertise to solve key challenges
Preferred Candidate Profile
A strong candidate should come from a background with meaningful CPG commercialization exposure, or from an MD&P / commercial background with demonstrated experience creating and validating new business models in ambiguous, early-stage environments.
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Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer’s, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.