Director, Commercial Strategy and Operations, Innovation Lead

Job Description Summary: Advanced Hydration is a dynamic, fast‑paced business unit at The Coca‑Cola Company where teams come together to lead what’s next in hydration. With a portfolio that includes BODYARMOR Sports Drink, Powerade, vitaminwater, and smartwater, the group is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, strong collaboration, and shared ambition. This is a place for people who think differently, move with agility, challenge the status quo, and thrive in an ever‑changing category. Joining the team means helping shape the future of hydration alongside passionate, collaborative teams committed to winning.The Director, Commercial Strategy & Operations - Innovation Lead for the Advanced Hydration division owns the end-to-end commercial enablement of innovation across the Sports portfolio. This role is accountable for translating innovation ideas into executable commercial plans - leading business case development, managing early-stage projects, aligning cross-functionally, and ensuring launches are performance-tracked and system-ready. Success requires strong commercial judgment, operational discipline, and the ability to lead complex work across Brand, Finance, Supply Chain, Customer, and Franchise teams. RESPONSIBILITIES:Commercial Innovation ManagementLead commercial innovation through the Stages & Gates project management process includingBusiness case development in partnership with Finance, Brand, and Supply ChainManaging projects through Gate 2 until assignment of a dedicated Project ManagerParticipating in all project calls once a PM is assigned to ensure commercial continuityCoordinating with Supply Chain on feasibility as ideas are developedPartner with the CSO Base Lead to ensure innovation concepts are aligned with the overall Advanced Hydration commercial strategyOwn performance tracking for all Sports innovation through the first 13 weeks post-launch, including bottler attainment, depletions tracking, syndicated data & consumption trendsIdentify early risks and opportunities, escalating insights and recommended actions to leadership Operating Plan & System EnablementDevelop the Innovation Operating Plan through cross-functional alignmentDeploy innovation materials across teams to ensure integration into broader customer and bottler plansSteward commercial innovation strategy to the franchise teams, including follow-ups, materials, and information requests as needed​Cross-Functional & System LeadershipRepresent CSO as the innovation subject matter expert for BODYARMOR & Powerade across North America routines, including System Readiness and supply chain forumsLead NAOU calibration for BODYARMOR & Powerade related to PSA and final forecasting, ensuring volume alignment across internal supply plans and the bottling networkManage the full INCAST process for all Sports innovation, including customer team alignment and follow-upsCoordinate and manage the innovation sampling process across cross-functional stakeholdersPartner with Brand teams to monitor competitive innovation and category dynamics, assessing implications for the Sports businessLeverage AI tools and knowledge of internal ways of working to create efficiencies while optimizing process workflowEnd-to-End Ownership: Own projects to completion from initial framing to decision support and executional follow throughEnterprise Mindset: Balance brand-level needs with system-wide priorities, ensuring alignment across North America, channels, and the bottler systemStrong Operating Rhythm: Establish and steward clear planning cycles, governance forums, and communication cadences that enable fast, informed decisionsClarity Through Simplicity: Translate complex data, strategies, and trade-offs into clear points of view and executive-ready narrativesModern Enablement: Actively leverage AI tools, analytics platforms, and internal ways of working to reduce friction, eliminate rework, and improve speed to impactCollaborative Influence: Lead through influence rather than authority, building alignment across diverse stakeholders with competing prioritiesPushes for Progress: Move work forward in imperfect environments by driving decisions, structuring trade-offs, and maintaining momentumREQUIREMENTS:Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other graduate degree preferred7+ years of experience in strategic leadership within consumer goods management, finance, or commercial strategy requiredDemonstrated ability to lead and influence across all organizational levelsAdvanced analytical capability, including development of forecast models and performance dashboardsDeep experience working with syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI, Circana, Numerator)Exceptional storytelling and PowerPoint skills; experience presenting complex ideas to senior leadersProven success operating in fast-paced, evolving, matrixed organizationsWhat We Can Do For You Iconic Brand: Work on the most recognized brand in the world and be part of developing the brands next chapter. Exposure to World Class Leaders: Availability to global marketing leaders that will expand your network and exposure you to emerging digital platforms and marketing insights.  Creative Team Culture: Be inspired by the best brand leaders and agencies in the world, which creates a creative culture that supports taking risks and innovation. The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.Skills:Brand Management, Category Management, Communication, Competitor Analysis, Digital Marketing, Finance Strategy, Financial Forecasting, Integrated Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Leadership, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategies, Media Planning, Microsoft Of