Brand Manager

Tauck•Wilton, CT

About The Position

The Brand Manager operates as the general manager of one or more Tauck product lines, serving as the cross-functional business leader who connects consumer insight, product strategy, marketing, sales, operations and financial performance. As the driver and champion of the brand and business agenda, this role is ultimately accountable for the product line’s growth and passenger volume. Success in the role requires an entrepreneurial mindset. The Brand Manager identifies opportunities before they are fully defined, brings structure to ambiguity and owns the outcome, moving from insight to measurable action without waiting to be told. This individual combines strategic thinking, commercial and consumer orientation, strong judgment and a bias toward execution. Because the role carries no direct authority over most of the functions it depends on, the Brand Manager must be an exceptional communicator and able to build genuine cross-functional alignment. The right candidate should have a demonstrated ability to align competing priorities, translate strategy into a story that cross-departmental team members can all rally behind, and drive the group to deliver results on a shared timeline.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in brand management, general management, product marketing, strategy or a similar role, with a track record of owning business results rather than just marketing tasks.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive accountability without relying on formal authority, gained in either a complex, matrixed organization or a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
Strong business judgment, commercial orientation and analytical capability, with the ability to connect consumer insight and business performance to strategic choices.
Has built a business, product line, or function from an undefined starting point, made calls with incomplete information, and owned the outcome; comfort with ambiguity alone isn’t enough.
Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to unite different teams around a shared narrative and drive them to deliver results.

Nice To Haves

MBA strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Acts as general manager for assigned product line(s), maintaining a holistic view of consumer, product, marketing, sales, operational and financial considerations to drive growth and deliver annual passenger and sales targets.
Proactively identifies business opportunities, risks and emerging issues through analysis of consumer, channel, competitive, yield and inventory performance; translates insights into clear recommendations and decisive action.
Demonstrates a genuinely entrepreneurial approach: spots unmet customer needs and new ways of working, builds the case for action, tests ideas quickly, and adjusts course based on results rather than waiting for perfect information or established process.
Influences product, pricing, promotion and inventory decisions in partnership with Global Operations, Finance, Yield Management, Sales and Reservations, ensuring choices align with consumer needs, brand strategy and growth objectives.
Informs new product development for their assigned product line(s) by setting strategy and providing the competitive, consumer and portfolio insight that influences product planning conversations with Global Operations and Finance.
Leads complex, ambiguous and high-priority cross-functional initiatives, defining the path forward, solving problems creatively and driving them through to completion.
Leads through influence in a matrixed organization, building genuine commitment among stakeholders with competing priorities and driving timely decisions, accountability and progress without relying on formal authority.
Develops and champions integrated brand and marketing strategies, translating them into a clear narrative that aligns cross-functional partners and resources behind the highest-value opportunities.
Leads cross-functional go-to-market planning for new products and major initiatives, setting the strategy, aligning stakeholders across Marketing, Sales, Global Operations, Finance, Yield Management and Reservations, and driving execution to results.
Equips Sales and advisor-facing teams with the strategy, tools, education and partnership initiatives needed to grow the brand; serves as a persuasive internal and external advocate for the product line.
Identifies, evaluates and advances external partnerships that can unlock customer, brand or commercial value.
Owns the product line content strategy and creative direction across consumer and advisor touchpoints — print, digital, website merchandising, video, social media, training, sales materials and customer journey communications — ensuring messaging is compelling, differentiated and consistent with Tauck's positioning and voice.
Builds and executes the multi-year brand plans across all channels to achieve the brand growth agenda, leveraging content, creative, promotions, and sales tools to ensure consistent, on-brand delivery of all marketing deliverables, on time and on budget.
Partners with Finance, Global Operations, Yield Management, Patron Experience and Sales to align promotions, gestures, training and education, and communications with brand and business objectives and strategy.
Supports customer journey planning and communications that build pre-tour excitement, enhance the on-tour experience, increase loyalty and drive conversion.