Sr. Brand Manager, US Retail

McCain Foods USA•Oakbrook Terrace, IL

About The Position

The Sr. Brand Manager - US Retail Marketing is a critical member of the North America (NA) Marketing Team at McCain who is a key player in developing and executing annual and mid-range portfolio and marketing strategies, unlocking profitable growth. Responsible for all aspects of the marketing mix to drive consumer demand, the Sr. Brand Manager - US Retail Marketing will act as the strategic business leader, partnering with sales, innovation, marketing operations, go-to-market, insights, and other functional groups within the organization to meet portfolio business objectives. The ideal candidate is a proven consumer marketer – a solutions-oriented, forward thinker with a strong commercial lens, sound technical marketing skills, experience leading cross-functional teams and developing talent. Fueled by a passion for the consumer, the customer, and the category, the Sr. Brand Manager - US Retail Marketing will deliver profitable sales and market share growth with the goal of growing and transforming the business and the category. What You'll Be Doing ... Act as a leader and mentor to the team managing up to two direct reports and actively contributing to building an engaged, inclusive and high performing team. Set the AOC & plans for the brand and portfolio while supporting the vision and long-range strategy for the retail business, leveraging macro trends, demand space frameworks, consumer insights, shopper insights, and market & competitive analyses to identify where to play, how to win, and what to do in a way that drives profitable growth. Partner closely with Insights, Innovation and Go to Market Hub to identify and champion growth opportunities, translating market insights into strong go-to-market propositions Develop portfolio, brand & PL strategy, nclusive of Product communication development and execution to grow a family of products/brands that are distinctively positioned and are targeted to customer/consumer needs. The Portfolio Lead is responsible for setting a mid-term (3 year) brand, portfolio and base business strategy. Lead portfolio architecture strategy, inclusive of portfolio price tiering/ positioning Critical partner to Go to Market Hub counterpart to shape AOC annual planning process, driving/influencing innovation, base business growth initiatives and supporting/enhancing brand positioning and commercial objectives. Control & manage the full funnel marketing spend for the Retail business and report on results/ROI Lead core innovation strategy (non-disruptive) developing and executing line extensions & renovation, inclusive of core product stewardship initiatives Execute disruptive innovation plans, partnering closely cross functionally to deliver executional excellence Champion the customer and consumer, understanding the entire value chain to deliver an integrated and synergistic execution of the strategy across functions Support T1, selective T2 customer engagements led by the Go to Market Hub and sales ensuring business alignment to unlock joint value creation Support monthly IBP operating rhythm; with Go to Market Hub to help drive to decisions and alignment that balance supply against demand—and drive positive mix and scale impact to financial performance of the business Lead base business portfolio performance and product lifecycle reviews, to ensure an efficient and relevant portfolio that delivers to customer, category and commercial objectives. Initiate portfolio mix optimization, profitability, sourcing and pricing initiatives as needed Proactively review key brand and category performance drivers, identifying key levers that positively impact the P&L and adjust as needed to achieve annual operating plan objectives, inclusive of SKU profitability and mix. Coaches and supports the BM and ABM for their further development. Profile: To effectively meet the expectations of this role, the ideal candidate: Is a self-starter and independent thinker with a strong work ethic who can convert insights into sustainable strategies and action plans that deliver results. Is a strong commercial marketer with proven expertise in driving sustainable impact and creating business value Has a solid track record of developing insight-led Leads with a general management mindset Takes a people-centric approach Is capable of prioritizing and business vision while ensuring alignment from key stakeholders Has a proven ability to lead & motivate cross functional teams delivering business and brand objectives Marketing Strategy and Fundamentals Strategic leader who can drive category and brand growth developing where to play, how to win, what to do marketing, brand, and portfolio strategies Bias for leading with consumer insights, a demand-driven stance on the business, and an understanding of category & industry trends and intelligence — bringing teams along to win internally and in the marketplace A strong foundational understanding of marketing mix fundamentals such as campaigns & communications, pricing & promotions, placement and packaging; with a firm understanding of brand positioning and brand equity. Commercial and business management acumen A strong commercial acumen required to manage the channel P&L to achieve financial goals (top and bottom-line), aligning and prioritizing work to deliver against KPIs and owning and executing strategic initiatives in line with goals (e.g., portfolio simplification, optimization, etc.) Robust understanding of the key drivers for the brand / category through financial knowledge of the SKU’s under their portfolio and their contribution to the business. Profitable portfolio management An ability to initiate portfolio mix optimization, portfolio analysis, price pack architecture, profitability, sourcing and pricing initiatives. People & Culture Lead cross functional teams to ensure all team members are motivated, have clear goals and are vested in delivering the plans Strong ability to build rapport, with the aptitude to influence others towards a common goal. Upskill and mentor the brand/product team in knowledge of principles, concepts, strategies and techniques relating to brand management and marketing

Requirements

7+ years of Marketing/Brand Management experience with P&L ownership of a large brand or portfolio of brands within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, with a minimum of 5 years in food
Previous P&L management experience
Experience deriving insights from both primary consumer research and syndicated data
Expert knowledge of principles, concepts, strategies and techniques relating to Foodservice marketing.
Strong commercial acumen and financial know how in the food CPG space in a tier 1 or 2 matrixed organization
Ability to understand entire value chain and where commercial can drive efficiencies and effectiveness
Experience of customer facing engagements preferably with one or more of the Grocery Retailers.
Strong people management and leadership skills with high EQ with 5+ years of experience managing direct report(s)
Strong ability to influence people and build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and customers.
Experience working strategically and operationally, and adapt to fast paced, ambiguous environments while maintaining accountability.
High degree of tenacity and persistence to get actions completed on schedule with a hands on approach when needed.
Highly organized with premium analytical skills, strong attention to detail, and a track record of translating data into insights and action.
Proven track record in delivering several complex projects at a time
Adept with project management fundamentals with Stage-Gate process understanding to drive decision-making with gatekeepers
Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
Excellent organizational and communication skills

Responsibilities

Act as a leader and mentor to the team managing up to two direct reports and actively contributing to building an engaged, inclusive and high performing team.
Set the AOC & plans for the brand and portfolio while supporting the vision and long-range strategy for the retail business, leveraging macro trends, demand space frameworks, consumer insights, shopper insights, and market & competitive analyses to identify where to play, how to win, and what to do in a way that drives profitable growth.
Partner closely with Insights, Innovation and Go to Market Hub to identify and champion growth opportunities, translating market insights into strong go-to-market propositions
Develop portfolio, brand & PL strategy, nclusive of Product communication development and execution to grow a family of products/brands that are distinctively positioned and are targeted to customer/consumer needs.
Lead portfolio architecture strategy, inclusive of portfolio price tiering/ positioning
Critical partner to Go to Market Hub counterpart to shape AOC annual planning process, driving/influencing innovation, base business growth initiatives and supporting/enhancing brand positioning and commercial objectives.
Control & manage the full funnel marketing spend for the Retail business and report on results/ROI
Lead core innovation strategy (non-disruptive) developing and executing line extensions & renovation, inclusive of core product stewardship initiatives
Execute disruptive innovation plans, partnering closely cross functionally to deliver executional excellence
Champion the customer and consumer, understanding the entire value chain to deliver an integrated and synergistic execution of the strategy across functions
Support T1, selective T2 customer engagements led by the Go to Market Hub and sales ensuring business alignment to unlock joint value creation
Support monthly IBP operating rhythm; with Go to Market Hub to help drive to decisions and alignment that balance supply against demand—and drive positive mix and scale impact to financial performance of the business
Lead base business portfolio performance and product lifecycle reviews, to ensure an efficient and relevant portfolio that delivers to customer, category and commercial objectives.
Initiate portfolio mix optimization, profitability, sourcing and pricing initiatives as needed
Proactively review key brand and category performance drivers, identifying key levers that positively impact the P&L and adjust as needed to achieve annual operating plan objectives, inclusive of SKU profitability and mix.
Coaches and supports the BM and ABM for their further development.