Job Title: Senior Product Manager - Vegetables
Reporting to: Head, Marketing and Communications
Location: Durham, North Carolina or California
About Pairwise:
Pairwise is a mission-driven, food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Pairwise was founded in 2017 by scientists at Harvard University, MIT, and Broad Institute who are eminent in the field of gene editing, as well as biotechnology industry pioneers. Our team is tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. We are primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first products launching in 2023. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.
About This Role:
Our team is growing, and our Marketing and Product Management Team is looking for an experienced Senior Product Manager – Vegetables to co-lead the Product Team for our pre-packaged salad product portfolio in the U.S. Retail and Foodservice Channels. This position offers the rare opportunity to develop and launch differentiated food+tech consumer products – to work with the Head, Product Development (R&D) and a cross-functional Product Team to craft a long-term product vision, prioritization, and roadmap in the exciting arena of gene edited vegetables. The successful candidate will:
• Have a track record of successfully launching differentiated products, in a fresh food category, value-added vegetables, or specialty crop varieties. Food+tech experience a plus.
• Develop deep understanding of the functional aspects of value-added produce products, leafy green varieties, and gene edited produce.
• Be a diplomatic, solution-oriented leader, balancing risk and pressure effectively to guide the product team to market.
• Inspire the best in the team, leading the team to deliver a pipeline of original, high-quality products.
• Be a savvy verbal and written communicator who can build support for their ideas, drive progress toward organizational goals, and build win-win relationships with cross-functional partners.
• Be energized by the fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture of our mission-driven company.
• Travel of up to 30% will be part of this role, as well.
Essential Functions:
• Define product vision, strategy, and prioritization in collaboration with Head, Product Development from the R&D organization.
• Cultivate productive, cross-functional relationships with Grower Relations/Agronomy, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Business Development, Sales, Brand Marketing, and Finance to ensure alignment and timely delivery of new products.
• Own all target product concepts for our Vegetable Portfolio, including establishing features, benefits, and claims, in conjunction with Brand Marketing and Product Development (R&D).
• Become the organizational expert on all company vegetable products.
• Support consumer testing efforts w/cross-functional team.
• Collaborate with Commercial and Product Development teams to develop product prototypes and to run product scale-ups.
• Participate in relevant business processes (e.g. S&OP, Monthly Business Reviews) to ensure operational execution and continuous improvement.
• Oversee product evaluation and define key product improvements.
• Oversee SKU prioritization and SKU rationalization, building and maintaining a profitable, differentiated portfolio over time.
Required Education & Experience
• Minimum of five years launching differentiated products for a fresh food company; value-added produce and/or food+tech preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to set clear priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to build productive working relationships with colleagues and partners across departments, geographic locations, and time zones.
Offerings
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!
• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays
• Casual work environment.
• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.
• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.
EEO Statement
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.