POSITION: SENIOR BRAND MANAGER
DIVISION: CONSUMER BRANDS SA
REPORTS TO: 1
LOCATION: BRYANSTON – HEAD OFFICE

Job Objective

To develop and implement brand strategies (aligned to the divisional and portfolio strategy and targets) and brand activity plans which will deliver both short and long-term growth and profitability. The Senior Brand Manager is responsible for ensuring executional excellence of their brand activity plans across all relevant channels and customers.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Work closely with the Head of Marketing on development of the portfolio strategy
• Lead brand positioning, brand architecture, brand plan development and pricing strategies
• Ensure a digital strategy is in place for each brand
• Ensure consistent interpretation of brand objectives and strategies amongst key internal and external stakeholders

Consumer Insights, Research and Data

• Ensure brand positioning is based on a sound consumer insight (relevant to the consumer in all countries, where relevant) and that all work developed on the brand is true to the target consumer and the key brand insight
• Identify research requirements annually and manage the delivery of required research through the Consumer Insights manager
• Must be able to analyse and interpret data and recommend best course of action

NPD

• Ensure a 3-year NPD pipeline is in place for each brand
• Successfully project manage and land new product innovations on each brand

Brand Activity

• Set guidelines and rules for all elements to ensure a consistent brand message and look and feel.
• Ensure buy in to activity plans is achieved amongst internal stakeholders and external customers e.g. distributors
• Collaborate with sales team to ensure activity plans and material developed is suited to target customers and their retail environment and will cut throug
• Oversee the roll out of the brand activity calendars and ensure consistent world class execution
• Actively monitor environment in which brands play in local and international markets (staying abreast of competitor activity, market trends, shifts in consumer psyche or behaviour and regulatory influencers) and recommend required actio
• Proactively look for exciting and relevant opportunities for each brand

Commercial

• Analyse financial impact of pricing strategies on brand P&L’s and total portfolio
• Initiate and lead profitability improvement projects where necessary e.g. COG’s value engineering, SKU rationalisation
• Ensure P&L’s are in place for all NPD and promotional activity
• Manage the brand budgets with financial phasing and targets in mind, monitoring all marketing spend to ensure control and no overspend
• Demonstrate ROI on past activity and compile ROI motivations for new activit
• Participate in forecasting and demand planning process ensuring demand plan is aligned to brand activity plans

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Lead multiple cross functional project teams simultaneously, tapping into the knowledge and experience of subject matter experts and holding team members accountable to deliver against commitments
• Position marketing as a subject matter expert and seek to influence brand decisions at all levels of the business
• Ensure the right agencies and suppliers are in place to deliver on the brand plans, monitoring delivery and performance and intervening/escalating when issues arise
• Build strong partnerships with agencies and suppliers and ensure they are thoroughly immersed in the market, product categories and the brand world

People Management

• Recruit and retain strong talent
• Manage and mentor direct report/s, ensuring a personal development plan is in place
• Ensure training interventions are budgeted for and actioned in line with direct report’s PDP

Minimum Requirements:

• B.Comm degree / IMM Diploma
• Minimum 4 years relevant brand marketing experience
• Proven portfolio and brand management experience
• Leadership and assertiveness skills
• Sound strategic thinking and decision-making ability
• Skilled problem solver
• Commercial acumen
• Operational and executional excellence
• Ability to network and influence to achieve results
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create and deliver superior presentations
• Innovative
• Results orientated
• Strong sense of accountability
• Must be self-motivated and require minimal supervision
• Must be a natural leader and have the desire to grow and mentor others
• Must enjoy working in cross-functional teams with tight deadlines and under high pressure