Director of Product Innovation

Job description

**ABOUT US:** Insomnia Cookies was founded in a college dorm room by then-student, Seth Berkowitz. Fast forward 20 years and so... many....cookies... later, our innovative bakery + delivery concept has become a cult brand known for its rabid following of cookie lovers who crave Insomnia’s warm, delicious delivery all day and late into the night. With an expanding footprint of over 300 stores globally, an experiential, “sweet-easy” concept as the brand’s flagship in Philadelphia, Pa. (where Insomnia Cookies is headquartered), and a rapidly-growing nationwide shipping and gifting portfolio... Insomnia Cookies is revolutionizing the cookie game by truly "Imagining What’s Possible"! **POSITION OVERVIEW:** Insomnia Cookies is searching for a Director of Product Innovation to define what's next for one of the most iconic brands in food. This role will set the strategic vision - and do the hands-on work behind our entire innovation pipeline, from warm cookies and desserts to beverages, new platforms, and future categories that extend the brand beyond what we bake today. This is a builder's role, not a caretaker's. You'll roll up your sleeves to design and stand up the stage-gate process that takes ideas from napkin sketch to national launch, bringing rigor, speed, and cross-functional alignment to every step of the journey. You'll build the operating system that governs how innovation happens across the company. You'll own the innovation pipeline end to end, spanning baked goods, beverages, ice cream, and the next generation of products, partnerships, and experiences that delight our fans. You'll also lead the product-adjacent work that makes innovation possible, from packaging and equipment to operational readiness. Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, you'll build the process, run the process, and partner closely across Marketing, Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Development to ensure great ideas become great launches — on time, on brand, and built to scale. **What You’ll Own** • Own the innovation pipeline. Be the single point of accountability for how ideas move from concept to launch across core product innovation, beverages, brand-building partnerships, and the product-adjacent work that supports them, including new equipment and packaging. • Build the stage-gate process from scratch. Design and stand up a formal stage-gate process with clear go/no-go criteria, owners, and timelines at every stage. This is not about refining an existing process; it is about building the first one and getting every function, including Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance, to use it and live by it. • Build innovation through partnerships. Identify and develop unique, culturally relevant partnerships that can unlock new products, flavors, formats, audiences, and occasions. Work closely with Marketing and external partners to turn collaborations into differentiated, brand-building innovation that creates excitement, drives trial, and strengthens Insomnia’s place in culture. • Extend that discipline to product-adjacent work. Apply the same stage-gate rigor to new equipment evaluations, packaging redesigns, partnership-driven launches, and other initiatives required to bring products to market successfully. • Set the product innovation strategy and vision. Build the multi-year innovation roadmap across cookies, ice cream, beverages, adjacent categories, partnerships, and new formats, including limited editions, LTOs, and potential new occasions and channels. Ensure the roadmap is aligned with the brand strategy and the company’s growth targets. • Lead hands-on execution. This is a builder role, not an oversight role. You will be in the kitchen, in the data, working directly with partners, and in the room where decisions get made, not simply setting direction from a distance. • Own the P&L and budget. Manage the product innovation budget, from R&D investment and ingredient sourcing to partnership economics and launch costs, with clear accountability for the ROI and commercial performance of new products. • Drive cross-functional partnership. Work directly with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and external partners to translate ideas into products that are scalable, profitable, operationally sound, and worthy of the Insomnia brand. • Protect and build the brand. Ensure every product and partnership decision reinforces the Insomnia Cookies identity, creates something our fans will care about, and strengthens our position as the leader in late-night indulgence. • Lead with consumer and market insight. Stay ahead of category trends, competitive launches, cultural conversations, emerging partners, and changing consumer tastes. Use insight, not just intuition, to prioritize the innovation pipeline and identify where Insomnia can lead rather than follow. • Lead the team. Manage a lean, high-performing team while staying close enough to the work to jump in, solve problems, and keep ideas moving when needed. • Build the culture. Champion an innovation culture rooted in craft, curiosity, collaboration, and hospitality, living Insomnia’s “Always Warm” values in every product decision, partnership, and interaction with the team. **What You Bring** • 10+ years of product innovation, culinary, or product development leadership experience, ideally in multi-unit food/beverage, QSR, or bakery/retail environments. • Direct experience building a stage-gate or innovation process from the ground up — not just operating inside one someone else designed. • A track record of leading teams and owning a P&L, not just developing products individually. • A genuine "get in the weeds" mindset — comfortable moving between strategy conversations and hands-on kitchen or process work in the same day. • Deep expertise across concept development, food science, sensory evaluation, and scaled production — with the judgment to know when craft needs to bend to operational reality (and when it shouldn't). • Experience partnering with senior leadership to translate strategy into execution. • A portfolio of successful national product launches, ideally in a fast-growing, multi-unit brand. • Comfort balancing culinary craft with consumer insight, market data, and business case discipline in prioritizing what gets built next. • Formal culinary training (CIA, JWU, or equivalent) a strong plus; food science or CPG innovation background also welcome. • A genuine passion for hospitality, indulgence, and building something people crave. **SWEET POSITION PERKS:** • The opportunity to architect Insomnia Cookies' next chapter of culinary growth • Competitive compensation package including base, bonus, and equity • Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, and 401(k) • A fun, entrepreneurial, cookie-filled culture • Hybrid Work Schedule – 3 days in office/2 days Remote • Free cookies, branded swag, and so much more!