Senior Director, Industry Strategy (Innovation)

CPG or QSR Innovation Expert-in-Residence Zappi is looking for a senior product innovation, consumer insights, and innovation development expert with deep experience in CPG or QSR to help strengthen our authority, differentiation, and commercial success in the product innovation space. This person will serve as both: A trusted expert, educator, and industry advocate externally A strategic, cross-functional SME and connective layer internally The role is designed for someone who has helped major brands identify opportunities, develop stronger concepts, reduce risk, and translate consumer insight into stronger product decisions. They should be credible with senior Insights, Innovation, R&D, Marketing, Brand, Commercial, and Strategy leaders, and able to connect methodological rigor with a modern, scalable approach to innovation research.

The ideal candidate will bring deep credibility in either CPG or QSR. Experience across both is a plus, not a requirement.

What You’Ll Do

Serve as an industry expert Bring deep expertise in CPG or QSR innovation ecosystems. Act as a senior subject matter expert on concept testing, innovation development, optimization, pricing, pack testing, validation, and commercialization workflows. Understand how large enterprise innovation organizations operate, including process, politics, decision-making, and organizational pressures.

Stay ahead of emerging trends in AI, synthetic respondents, agile innovation, and connected learning systems. Function as a trusted internal advisor across the organization. Help drive cross-functional GTM readiness Work closely with Sales, Customer, Product, Product Marketing, Marketing, and Research Science teams on strategic narratives and customer engagements.

Help Product Marketing build messaging, frameworks, demos, POVs, enablement, competitive guidance, and customer-facing materials when expertise-level knowledge is needed. Support enterprise opportunities as a strategic expert and advisor, speaking directly to customers and prospects when senior innovation expertise is needed. Improve how Zappi articulates innovation systems versus point solutions.

Own the competitive intelligence program for product innovation, translating market, competitor, customer, and industry shifts into internal guidance and external-facing content. Build external credibility Develop a visible external voice in the innovation and insights space. Create thought leadership on AI and synthetic research, modern innovation systems, iterative concept development, connected learning, and balancing speed, rigor, and risk.

Speak at conferences, webinars, customer events, and industry forums. Engage with analysts, strategic customers, and industry communities. Co-create customer education materials and programs with Customer Marketing.

Influence product and strategy Translate customer realities into actionable product and GTM recommendations. Partner closely with Product, Research Science, and Commercialization teams. Align with Product Marketing, Product, and the VP of New Product Commercialization to pressure test emerging AI and synthetic offerings from both methodological and commercial perspectives.

Serve as a second voice outside of Product to help ensure product direction aligns with real-world customer workflows and unmet needs. Zappi has a stronger, clearer, and more differentiated point of view in AI-enabled innovation and modern innovation systems. GTM teams are more confident and effective in innovation conversations, with stronger discovery, sharper positioning, and better objection handling.

Zappi’s innovation offerings are easier for Sales and Account teams to position as a strategic growth opportunity, not simply a set of point solutions or individual tests. Enterprise buyers increasingly view Zappi as a strategic innovation partner, not simply a testing platform.