Sr Associate Brand Manager

Sunstar • Schaumburg, IL

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate Brand Manager is responsible for driving brand performance, leading key marketing initiatives, and translating consumer, category, and competitive insights into actionable brand plans. This role will serve as the analytical and strategic backbone of the brand team, blending rigorous data analysis, commercial strategy, and cross-functional leadership to drive brand growth across both consumer and dental professional markets. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where problems are not clearly defined and solutions require curiosity, analytical rigor, and cross-functional influence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 4-6 years of CPG marketing experience or 2-3 with master’s degree.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross functional teams and manage complex projects.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using syndicated data (Circana/IRI).
• Ability to think strategically while executing with strong attention to detail.
• Strong ability to navigate ambiguity and operate in a growing and evolving organization.
• Proactive and action-oriented, sees opportunities to add value and optimize.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Financial acumen, ability to navigate a P&L and connect marketing and business strategies to financial levers.
• Communicating clear, insight driven recommendations that influence senior stakeholders.
• Making recommendations for plans to deliver improved brand performance metrics (share, penetration, velocity).
• Effective cross functional leadership, project management, and prioritization skills.
• Delivery of high-quality marketing programs, on-time and on-budget.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly business reviews using syndicated data (Circana/IRI), panel data, dental professional data, and internal shipments & financials.
• Translate brand strategy and marketplace insights into actionable Distribution, Pricing, Shelving, Merchandising guidance for sales and customer teams.
• Work with media agency to analyze media performance reports, including CPM, CPC, CTR, impressions, to assess effectiveness on brand KPIs.
• Interpret professional recommendation data (e.g., survey results, A&U studies, rep feedback, CRM insights) to understand drivers of recommendation and barriers to adoption.
• Track the effectiveness of professional programs, sampling initiatives, and social media marketing with retail performance.
• Support the development and management of a forecast model working with Finance, Category Management, Sales and Supply Chain.
• Monitor competitive activity and identify share shifts, pricing moves, and innovation trends.
• Support long-range planning through category forecasting, whitespace identification, and portfolio modeling.
• Support portfolio strategy and assortment optimization with clearly defined roles for each segment of the business.
• Develop fact-based DPSM (Distribution, Pricing, Shelving, Merchandising) guidance for customer teams.
• Partner with Sales to build customer-specific selling stories grounded in data and insights.
• Partner with Professional Marketing and Sales teams to optimize sampling strategy and professional-facing messaging, and support development of chairside tools and professional engagement programs.
• Identify emerging trends and opportunities to strengthen brand equity and accelerate growth.
• Contribute to the development of the annual brand plan/budget and mid-term plan (3-5-year plan) by supporting short and mid-term innovation plan.
• Lead project management and execution for priority initiatives, including new product launches, pricing actions, promotions, and merchandising programs.
• Lead shopper marketing and consumer promotion initiatives (FSIs, digital coupons, retail media, in-store tactics), partnering with Sales and agencies.
• Support packaging and renovation projects through consumer insights, business case development, and commercialization.
• Monitor ROI of marketing initiatives and optimize plans based on performance.
• Collaborate with Sunstar GUM teams across Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, as well as Global Marketing to align on marketing activations, packaging updates, artwork development, and shared best practices.
• Collaborate with Creative/Media and Shopper Marketing agencies to guide briefs, shape strategic direction, and ensure optimal execution.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental benefits
• 401K retirement plan with employer match (Pretax and Roth options)
• 401K profit sharing contribution based on company performance.
• Paid holidays
• Generous paid time off.
• Pet insurance
• Legal insurance
• Identity Theft Insurance Plans
• Competitive bonus
• Corporate Perks Discount Program (Auto, Retail, Electronics, Entertainment, Computers, Personal Vacations, Cell Phones, Movie Tickets, Eating Out and Much More)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level