Director of Innovation and Brand Expansion - Banza : Job Details

Director of Innovation and Brand Expansion

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Banza reimagines your favorite comfort foods, like pasta, pizza, mac & cheese and waffles, using chickpeas. Why? Because we know chickpeas aren't just delicious, they're also one of the most nutritious and sustainable foods. Yet 80% of the country isn't eating enough of them. Our mission is to inspire people to eat more chickpeas and other beans, making a positive impact on human health and the environment. Banza is the fastest-growing pasta brand in the country, and our products are available in 27,000 stores nationwide. We've been named one of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of the Year, Adweek's Best Food Brand, and are proud to have fans at Good Morning America, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and more.

As Director of Innovation and Brand Expansion, you will own the end-to-end innovation strategy from identifying consumer and category whitespace to bringing new products to shelf. Reporting to the VP of Brand Management, you will work with cross-functional teams in developing and commercializing differentiated, high-impact food and innovations that align with our brand guardrails and business goals. This role blends consumer empathy, strategic foresight, and operational execution.

• Innovation Strategy & Pipeline Leadership
  • Define a multi-year innovation roadmap aligned with our brand mission and growth strategies across our existing product lines.
  • Identify whitespace opportunities by synthesizing market trends, consumer insights, retail data, and competitive activity.
  • Develop innovation platforms that balance consumer demand, sustained value creation and operational feasibility.
  • Lead evaluation and prioritization of new category expansion and brand stretch opportunities.
• New Product Development (NPD)
  • Collaborate with the Director of Consumer and Sensory Research and external research partners to integrate research insights into the development of innovation strategies and initiatives.
  • Lead concept development, from ideation and feasibility to formulation and launch.
  • Collaborate with Product, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to develop and scale formulations that meet our better-for-you standards (clean label, nutrition-forward, great-tasting).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Brand Management, Marketing, Sales, and Finance to align product development with go-to-market strategy and financial targets.
  • Drive internal alignment through the stage-gate process, ensuring clarity of priorities, timelines, and resourcing.
• Consumer-First Innovation
  • Embed consumer insights throughout the innovation funnel - leveraging tools like concept testing, in-home usage tests (IHUTs), and social listening in partnership with the Director of Consumer & Sensory Research.
  • Stay ahead of evolving preferences in clean eating, functional nutrition, and ingredient transparency.
  • Promote a test-and-learn mindset by designing lean pilots and in-market experiments.

• 8-12+ years of experience in food & beverage innovation, preferably in natural/organic, clean-label, or better-for-you brands.
• Proven track record of launching successful products from ideation to commercialization.
• Strong understanding of CPG R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain constraints (especially in co-manufactured environments).
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and a bias for action.
• Passion for food, wellness, and the evolving better-for-you consumer landscape.
• Experience in stage-gate or agile innovation processes.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or related advanced degree is a plus.
• Passionate about what Banza's doing!

Write a cover letter describing why you want to join Banza and why you would be an excellent fit for this role (yes, we actually read every cover letter!) and then apply directly to this posting. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Banza is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage women, veterans, people with all abilities, people of color, and gender-nonconforming candidates to apply. Banza is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on protected characteristics. All applications will receive consideration without regard to legally protected characteristics. Banza participates in E-Verify to confirm identity and employment eligibility for all hires in the United States.

Compensation: Salary ranges are based on verified market data. For this role, the salary band is $150,000 - $180,000. Individual pay decisions depend on qualifications, experience, skillset, and internal equity.

Perks and Benefits: Equity, annual bonus, health insurance from day 1, 401(k), paid time off, parental leave, family-friendly benefits, stipends, and more as listed in the original posting.

Note: This description retains the core responsibilities and qualifications from the original posting while removing extraneous job listings and formatting inconsistencies. If you need the description to be even more concise or to align with a specific formatting template, let me know.