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. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 13,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2025 revenue of approximately $8.8 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.
Description
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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, this individual will help determine where Eastman should invest, how new offerings can create differentiated value, and what is required to bring those opportunities to market. |
Responsibilities
Identify and Prioritize Growth Opportunities
Identify emerging 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 to uncover unmet needs and validate market opportunities.
Design and execute primary and secondary market research to address critical knowledge gaps.
Perform market, competitive, regulatory, industry, value-chain, and trend assessments to identify opportunities and challenges.
Build Business Cases and Value Propositions
Develop compelling value propositions that clearly articulate customer benefits and competitive differentiation relative to alternative solutions.
Build fact-based business cases by evaluating market size, adoption potential, revenue potential, economics, key assumptions, risks, and competitive dynamics.
Identify critical assumptions, potential barriers, and risks early, and develop plans to validate or mitigate them.
Develop preliminary market entry, commercialization, and activation strategies for selected opportunities.
Lead Innovation Projects
Lead 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, to support high-quality strategic choices.
Collaborate with technical, commercial, sustainability, manufacturing, business, and other functional partners to develop opportunity strategies and commercialization plans.
Provide clear recommendations based on customer, market, competitive, and business insights.
Influence and Align Stakeholders
Build strong relationships with customers, external partners, and internal stakeholders to foster a market-centric approach to innovation.
Communicate complex ideas and recommendations through clear, compelling presentations and business cases.
Facilitate alignment and gain stakeholder commitment at key decision points throughout the front-end innovation and Stage-Gate processes.
Influence across functions without direct authority and constructively challenge assumptions to improve decisions.
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
Your total rewards go far beyond a competitive salary. When you join Eastman, you gain access to an exceptional suite of programs designed to protect your health, grow your wealth, and fuel your career.
Compensation & Incentives
• Base pay plus performance-based incentive opportunities that let you share in our success.
Health & Wellness
• Comprehensive medical, prescription-drug, and dental coverage—paired with a Health Savings Account option to help you save tax-free dollars for care today or in the future.
• A robust menu of voluntary benefits—including vision, optional life, critical-illness protection, and more—so you can tailor coverage to fit your life.
• Holistic wellness support: financial-planning tools, family-building assistance (adoption, pregnancy, and fertility resources), parental leave, and confidential Employee Assistance Program counseling.
Retirement & Financial Strategies
• 401(k) with a company match—plus an additional annual retirement contribution from Eastman to accelerate your long-term savings.
Time Away
• Eleven paid holidays, one personal day, paid time off, and paid vacation to recharge, celebrate, or handle life’s moments.
Growth & Development
• Access to mentorship, learning resources, and leadership programs that empower you to thrive in your current role and chart the next steps in your career.
At Eastman, we invest in the whole you—so you can bring your best self to work every day and build a future you’re proud of.
Eastman Chemical Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected classes as designated by law.
Eastman is committed to creating a powerfully engaged workplace, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential each day.
Nearest Major Market: Asheville
Nearest Secondary Market: Knoxville
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