Senior Director - Marketing Communications (Communications)

Freshpet Talent Acquisition•Bedminster, NJ

16h•$200,000 - $230,000

About The Position

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH! The Sr. Director, Brand Marketing serves as a strategic business leader responsible for shaping and executing brand vision and strategy to drive omni-channel brand growth, profitability, and long-term market leadership. This role encompasses meaningful P&L contribution ownership — including both top and bottom-line delivery — and serves as a key cross-functional partner to Sales, Innovation, Communications, Ecommerce, R&D/Quality, Finance, and Operations. What makes this role unique is its deep integration with the commercial business. This leader will own in-store execution strategy (including merchandising plans, planograms, and in-store creative), work hand-in-hand with Customer Sales Teams on our go-to-market strategy, and carry responsibility for Freshpet's Club brand and portfolio strategy in addition to Masterbrand stewardship.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field.
10+ years of progressive marketing experience with demonstrated success in brand management within the CPG industry.
3-5 years managing direct reports.
Strategic thinker with strong financial and analytical skills with proficiency using syndicated data tools (IRI/Nielsen).
Demonstrated experience in retail marketing, in-store execution, or shopper marketing.
Deep understanding of consumer insights, innovation processes, and retail go-to-market execution.
Strong leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills — particularly with Sales partners and cross-functional stakeholders.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate strategy into clear customer and consumer-facing stories.
Creative problem-solver with an entrepreneurial mindset and bias for action.
Collaborative and commercially grounded with a strong instinct for in-store consumer behavior.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree in Business or Marketing.
Background in food, beverage, pet food or refrigerated/fresh CPG categories.
Experience managing packaging development and creative agency relationships.

Responsibilities

Define and champion the brand vision, purpose, and long-term growth ambition in alignment with company strategy.
Develop and execute integrated brand plans that drive awareness, equity, and share growth across omni channel — with particular emphasis on physical retail environments.
Lead portfolio strategy, ensuring a clear architecture, strong partnership with innovation team on future pipeline, and renovation plans to strengthen core brand equity and differentiation.
Analyze category, consumer, and competitive insights to identify white space opportunities and inform product innovation.
Partner with R&D and Innovation teams to develop new product concepts and drive stage-gate execution from ideation through launch.
Drive data-informed growth programs leveraging analytics, consumer behavior insights, IRI/Nielsen syndicated data, and shopper dynamics.
Explore opportunities to elevate package design and in-store creative strategy— through agency partnership, cross-functional leadership, and on-time execution across the portfolio.
Elevate Freshpet's consumer-facing Quality strategy, ensuring quality standards and messaging serve as a credible and differentiated brand pillar in partnership with R&D, Quality, Procurement and Operations.
Retail Execution & In-Store Strategy: Own merchandising strategy, plans and planograms across Grocery, Mass, and Club customers; lead in-store creative and messaging for Freshpet refrigerators, including customer-specific customization where needed.
Customer & Sales Partnership: Serve as the brand marketing lead working hand-in-hand with key Customer & Ecom Sales Teams — contributing directly to sell stories, customer presentations, and joint business planning.
Club Brand & Portfolio Strategy: Own the full brand and portfolio strategy for Freshpet's Club business, including positioning, price/pack architecture, and an innovation roadmap tailored to Club customers and shoppers.
Contribute to P&L management for assigned brands, with accountability for balancing top-line growth with disciplined investment.
Build annual marketing plans including portfolio, promotional, and in-store investment strategies aligned to business goals.
Collaborate with Sales, Finance, and Operations to align forecasts, demand planning, and executional priorities.
Evaluate performance metrics and make data-driven recommendations to optimize ROI across brand and in-store programs.
Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing team with a culture of creativity, curiosity, and accountability.
Set clear goals and performance expectations, providing regular coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
Build future talent capability through succession planning and skill development.