Sr. Manager, Product & Digital Innovation

About the Role

An innovation leader who bridges physical and digital experiences—owning the full lifecycle from insight to in-market execution. This role combines traditional toy/product marketing rigor with emerging technology fluency to build scalable, retail-ready, and future-forward play experiences. The position uncovers unmet consumer needs, creates digital solutions, and generates new revenue streams through innovative digital applications that extend Crayola’s physical products into digital and hybrid play experiences. It serves as a cross-functional connector across digital, product marketing, sales, and technology teams to ensure concepts are commercially viable, brand-right, and scalable.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal thought leader and catalyst for digital innovation, AI applications, and hybrid play experiences across the organization.
• Own end-to-end product innovation from concept to commercialization across both physical and digital experiences—leading discovery, development, and launch of hybrid products that integrate seamlessly within Crayola’s portfolio.
• Identify, validate, and scale new revenue streams—including physical products, connected experiences, applications, tools, subscriptions, or hybrid offerings—ensuring strong consumer willingness to pay and retail viability.
• Lead consumer-first product strategy by uncovering unmet needs across physical play, digital engagement, and AI-enabled creativity—translating insights into differentiated, commercially viable product platforms.
• Develop integrated physical + digital play systems (O2O / D2P) that extend Crayola’s core “color, create, and customize” behaviors—ensuring innovations enhance core play patterns rather than fragment them.
• Drive physical product development in partnership with PD & Engineering—ensuring digital features, AI layers, and connected experiences are purpose-built to enhance the core product, manufacturable at scale, and cost-aligned with margin targets.
• Own the commercialization process for new products including:
  • Product briefs and positioning
  • Pricing strategy and margin architecture
  • Packaging and merchandising strategy
  • Retail sell-in storytelling and channel strategy
  • Demand creation inputs (digital, social, platform marketing)
• Collaborate cross-functionally (Product Development, Engineering, Digital, Platform Marketing, Sales, and Creative) to ensure feasibility, scalability, and cohesive execution across both physical and digital ecosystems.
• Assess emerging technologies, AI capabilities, and digital trends through a product lens—identifying where they can create meaningful, manufacturable, and retail-ready consumer value.
• Build robust business cases, prototypes, and pilot programs to validate:
  • Consumer desirability (qual + quant)
  • Price elasticity and purchase intent
  • Retailer acceptance and shelf fit
  • Long-term platform and franchise potential
• Ensure seamless integration into Crayola’s retail and DTC channels, balancing innovation with operational realities (cost of goods, supply chain, packaging constraints, and merchandising requirements).
• Act as a self-driven business owner / GM of new concepts—independently advancing initiatives while aligning with cross-functional partners to bring products from idea to shelf.
• Serve as a thought leader for hybrid play and innovation—championing the intersection of physical products, digital engagement, and AI to unlock future growth platforms for the brand.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in business, marketing, technology, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in digital product development, platform leadership, innovation, or technology-enabled consumer experiences.
• Strong work experience with outside digital suppliers.
• Proven experience developing and launching digital products, applications, or platforms with clear monetization models.
• Strong understanding of AI, emerging technologies, and digital ecosystems as they relate to consumer products and experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to translate consumer insights into scalable digital solutions and business opportunities.
• Experience working cross-functionally with product development, marketing, technology, and sales organizations.
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to build compelling business cases.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and leading discovery-driven innovation initiatives.
• Results-driven, entrepreneurial mindset with a balance of creativity and analytical skills.

Physical Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to walk.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Benefits

• Free admission to Crayola Experience for employees
• Community volunteerism opportunities
• Annual bonus potential for all full-time employees
• Company-matched 401k & employee value sharing plan
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits for eligible employees
• Education assistance program
• Wellness programs
• Employee resource groups
• Generous product discounts onsite & online
• Company-sponsored employee events
• Discounts on a wide variety of products and services—automotive, electronics, fitness, travel, and entertainment

Pay

Crayola is committed to providing competitive market compensation. Pay ranges are established using reliable market data and consider factors such as job responsibilities, industry benchmarks, and geographic location. Individual starting pay is determined by a candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. This role is eligible to participate in an annual incentive plan as per plan guidelines.