Innovation Marketing Manager

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation‑driven growth model takes advantage of world‑class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman employs approximately 13,000 people around the world, serves customers in more than 100 countries, and reported 2025 revenue of approximately $8.8 billion. Headquarters are in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. www.eastman.com.

About the role

The Innovation Marketing Manager helps build Eastman's next generation of growth by translating market shifts, unmet customer needs, and technology capabilities into scalable business opportunities. This role operates at the front end of innovation, identifying and evaluating new growth opportunities, developing business cases, and advancing the most promising concepts through the company's innovation and Stage‑Gate processes. The successful candidate combines strategic marketing expertise, customer insight, commercial judgment, and cross‑functional leadership, working closely with technical, business, commercial, sustainability, manufacturing, and other functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify and prioritize growth opportunities by analyzing market trends, customer needs, technology developments, and industry dynamics; evaluate and prioritize a portfolio of ideas, recommending which opportunities should be advanced, refined, pivoted, or discontinued; apply structured innovation methods and frameworks to assess strategic fit, market attractiveness, customer value, differentiation, commercial potential, and risk.
• Lead customer and market discovery: conduct customer discovery and voice‑of‑customer research, design and execute primary and secondary market research, and perform market, competitive, regulatory, industry, value‑chain, and trend assessments.
• Build business cases and value propositions: develop compelling value propositions, build fact‑based business cases evaluating market size, adoption potential, revenue potential, economics, key assumptions, risks, and competitive dynamics; identify critical assumptions, potential barriers, and risks; develop preliminary market entry, commercialization, and activation strategies.
• Lead innovation projects: manage the marketing workstream for growth opportunities from early discovery through concept development and advancement within Eastman's innovation and Stage‑Gate processes; use structured market and business evaluation frameworks, including Eastman's EBME approach; collaborate with technical, commercial, sustainability, manufacturing, business, and other functional partners; provide clear recommendations based on insights.
• Influence and align stakeholders: build strong relationships with customers, external partners, and internal stakeholders; communicate complex ideas through presentations and business cases; facilitate alignment and gain stakeholder commitment at key decision points; influence across functions without direct authority and constructively challenge assumptions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Engineering, Science, or a related discipline.
• Five or more years of relevant experience in strategic marketing, business development, product management, innovation, commercial leadership, or a related field.
• Applicable industry experience is preferred.
• Customer‑facing, commercial, or business development experience.
• Experience leading cross‑functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience conducting market research, customer discovery, and voice‑of‑customer activities.
• Experience developing value propositions, opportunity assessments, business cases, and commercial recommendations.
• Strong analytical, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to convert incomplete information into clear recommendations and operate effectively in ambiguous, rapidly evolving environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree.
• Experience with innovation management, front‑end innovation, Stage‑Gate, or similar business development processes.
• Experience advancing new products, services, technologies, applications, or business opportunities from early discovery through commercialization.
• Experience with market segmentation, targeting, portfolio management, market mapping, and strategic planning.
• Experience developing financial models and assessing the commercial viability of new opportunities.
• Experience in B2B, specialty materials, chemicals, advanced manufacturing, or another technology‑driven environment.

Desired Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and commercial judgment.
• Customer‑focused, insight‑driven, and intellectually curious.
• Entrepreneurial and comfortable making recommendations with incomplete information.
• Skilled at influencing, facilitating decisions, and building alignment across functions.
• A clear communicator who can engage both technical and business audiences.
• Results‑oriented, with the ability to move opportunities from idea to action.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution.

Benefits

• Compensation & Incentives: Base pay plus performance‑based incentive opportunities.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, prescription‑drug, and dental coverage; Health Savings Account option; voluntary benefits such as vision, optional life, critical‑illness protection; holistic wellness support including financial‑planning tools, family‑building assistance, parental leave, and Employee Assistance Program counseling.
• Retirement & Financial Strategies: 401(k) with company match and an additional annual retirement contribution from Eastman.
• Time Away: Eleven paid holidays, one personal day, paid time off, and paid vacation.
• Growth & Development: Access to mentorship, learning resources, and leadership programs.