The Role
Senior expert in CPG or QSR innovation who serves externally as an industry spokesperson and internally as a cross-functional SME. Drives GTM readiness, builds product marketing narratives, supports enterprise sales, leads competitive intelligence, creates thought leadership, and influences product strategy to align offerings with customer innovation workflows and AI-enabled research trends.
Summary Generated by Built In
CPG or QSR Innovation Expert-in-Residence
What success looks like:
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise:
Why join us!
Earning B Corp certification assures us we’re on the right track and have structures in place to become the business we want to be.
Our commitment to minimise our impact on the environment means being honest with ourselves and transparent with you—about everything from carbon emissions to tree-planting initiatives. We achieved our goal of becoming Net Zero in 2021!
Zappi Company Culture Highlights
About
Zappi is a leading consumer insights platform that helps brands win with consumers. Through AI-powered software that delivers connected insights, Zappi enables teams to make faster, smarter, consumer-driven decisions by leveraging real-time, continuous feedback.Trusted by more than 350 brands worldwide, Zappi helps create successful products, develop impactful ads, and build winning brands by keeping the voice of the consumer at the heart of every decision.Named the Best Marketing Insights Platform by the MarTech Breakthrough Awards in both 2023 and 2024, recognized by Business Insider as one of the hottest martech companies, and winner of the MRS Best Technology Innovation Award 2025, Zappi is redefining how modern teams use insights to drive growth.As a certified B-Corp, Zappi is committed to net-zero emissions, fostering an equitable workplace, and using technology to benefit the communities the company serves. With more than 300 employees across 13+ countries and offices in Boston, London, and Cape Town, Zappi’s culture has been celebrated by Fast Company, Comparably, Quirks, Great Place to Work, and more.
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 doServe 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What success looks like:
- 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.
- Product and GTM strategy are more closely aligned to customer realities, innovation workflows, competitive dynamics, and emerging market needs.
- Zappi builds greater external authority through thought leadership, customer education, industry participation, and expert-led innovation narratives.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise:
- 10+ years of experience in CPG or QSR innovation, consumer insights, innovation consulting, research strategy, product development, or commercialization.
- Deep expertise in innovation development and consumer research methodologies, including concept testing, validation, optimization, and commercialization workflows.
- Experience working with enterprise innovation organizations and senior stakeholders across Insights, Innovation, R&D, Marketing, Brand, Commercial, or Strategy teams.
- Strong understanding of how CPG or QSR teams make innovation decisions, manage risk, and bring new products to market.
- Ability to translate complex innovation methodologies into clear commercial narratives, sales guidance, executive-level storytelling, and customer-facing POVs.
- Experience supporting strategic sales, enterprise customer conversations, thought leadership, or consultative growth motions.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with comfort representing a company externally as a senior industry expert.
You may come from:
- Consumer insights leadership
- CPG or QSR client-side innovation teams
- Innovation consulting or strategic advisory roles
- Research strategy, product development, commercialization, or senior roles within research, insights, or innovation technology providers
Why join us!
- Three company-paid mental health days of rest per year (these are pre-scheduled, so the entire company can take the same days off regularly to reset)
- Generous PTO policy - Minimum of 20 days of paid time off per year, plus national holidays. Leave over 30 days requires manager and People team approval.
- Private medical healthcare cover
- Group risk, life & disability contributions
- Flexible working arrangements, including remote (unless otherwise specified)
- Thoughtfully designed offices to support both individual work and collaboration without interrupting others
- Wellbeing benefits such as free yoga and access to trained therapists / counsellors
- Enhanced parental leave policies
- Free lunch in the office Tuesday-Thursday
- Tax efficient pension contributions via salary sacrifice scheme
- Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme
- Salary sacrifice nursery scheme
- Tailored personal development through training allowances, coaching, mentorship and career frameworks
Why join us?
We’ve been recognized as one of the hottest martech companies in 2022 by Business Insider and named Best Place to Work by Quirk’s Media for our engaging and inclusive workplace culture. We’re committed to both people and the planet.
Our belief in inclusion means we’re building an organisation of diverse individuals and helping brands eliminate cultural presumptions in their research. Read our Diversity Manifesto here.
We are a values and behaviours driven business and believe that Trust, Truth, Ownership, Ambition and Humility describe Zappi employees on our best day. This is how we strive to show up for our customers, for each other and for our communities.
Earning B Corp certification assures us we’re on the right track and have structures in place to become the business we want to be.
Our commitment to minimise our impact on the environment means being honest with ourselves and transparent with you—about everything from carbon emissions to tree-planting initiatives. We achieved our goal of becoming Net Zero in 2021!
Zappi Company Culture Highlights
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company for Women 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company Work-Life Balance 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company Compensation 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best CEO for Women 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company for Diversity 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company Culture 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best CEO 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Happiness 2022
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Leadership Teams 2023
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best CEOs for Diversity 2023
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Engineering Teams 2023
- Winner of Comparably's Award for Best Company Outlook 2023
- Winner of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces in the UK 2022 & 2023
- Recognised by Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators 2023
- Winner of Best Marketing Insights Platform in the MarTech Breakthrough Awards 2023 & 2024
Equal Opportunity
Zappi is an equal opportunity employer; our diversity is a major strength. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.
We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce fosters innovation, creativity, and success. Our hiring decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, and abilities, ensuring fairness and equity throughout our recruitment process. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. Join our team and contribute to an inclusive environment where everyone's unique perspectives and talents are valued and respected.
About
Zappi is a leading consumer insights platform that helps brands win with consumers. Through AI-powered software that delivers connected insights, Zappi enables teams to make faster, smarter, consumer-driven decisions by leveraging real-time, continuous feedback.Trusted by more than 350 brands worldwide, Zappi helps create successful products, develop impactful ads, and build winning brands by keeping the voice of the consumer at the heart of every decision.Named the Best Marketing Insights Platform by the MarTech Breakthrough Awards in both 2023 and 2024, recognized by Business Insider as one of the hottest martech companies, and winner of the MRS Best Technology Innovation Award 2025, Zappi is redefining how modern teams use insights to drive growth.As a certified B-Corp, Zappi is committed to net-zero emissions, fostering an equitable workplace, and using technology to benefit the communities the company serves. With more than 300 employees across 13+ countries and offices in Boston, London, and Cape Town, Zappi’s culture has been celebrated by Fast Company, Comparably, Quirks, Great Place to Work, and more.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in CPG or QSR innovation, consumer insights, innovation consulting, research strategy, product development, or commercialization.
- Deep expertise in innovation development and consumer research methodologies, including concept testing, validation, optimization, and commercialization workflows.
- Experience working with enterprise innovation organizations and senior stakeholders across Insights, Innovation, R&D, Marketing, Brand, Commercial, or Strategy teams.
- Strong understanding of how CPG or QSR teams make innovation decisions, manage risk, and bring new products to market.
- Ability to translate complex innovation methodologies into clear commercial narratives, sales guidance, executive-level storytelling, and customer-facing POVs.
- Experience supporting strategic sales, enterprise customer conversations, thought leadership, or consultative growth motions.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with comfort representing a company externally as a senior industry expert.
- Experience across both CPG and QSR (listed as a plus).
- Familiarity with AI-enabled research, synthetic respondents, agile innovation, and connected learning systems (desirable).
Zappi Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Zappi and has not been reviewed or approved by Zappi.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is positioned as competitive overall, reinforced by recognition for compensation and repeated signals of above-average pay satisfaction. Compensation is also described as “more than fair” and, in some cases, at the higher end of market comparisons.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is framed as generous, with an uncapped/unlimited approach and an explicit minimum floor referenced in some descriptions. Company-paid mental health days further expand paid time away from work.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive in multiple geographies, including medical, dental, vision, and additional protections such as life and disability coverage. UK-oriented descriptions add private medical coverage elements and related protections such as income protection.
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The Company
What We Do
We are a leading consumer insights enterprise platform designed for creators. If you're part of a team that creates brands, ads or innovative new products, then we think you're a creator. Our platform provides access to actionable, quick and smart insights to amplify creative effectiveness and shape winning innovation, empowering creators with the agility and the data they need to make better decisions about the ads and innovation they take to market. Through working with some of the biggest brands in the world, we’ve built technology that lets you see your product innovations and advertising ideas through your consumers’ eyes so you can iterate, optimize, validate and learn — increasing your chances of in-market success. Zappi has been recognized as one of the hottest martech companies in 2022 by Business Insider and named Best Place to Work by Quirk’s Media for its engaging and inclusive workplace culture. With offices in Boston, London and Cape Town, we are a hybrid company where career growth is equitable for everyone, whether you do your best work fully remotely, from an office, or a mix of the two. Inspire your ideas and validate your creations so you can create work that people love — work that works. To find out more, visit https://www.zappi.io/web.
