Brand Manager, Bitesize & Adjacent

Mars; Dubai; On-site; AED 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars in Dubai seeks a Brand Manager to own and execute local brand strategy for the chocolate portfolio, delivering NSV growth and market penetration in alignment with global framework.

You will lead innovation, map opportunity spaces, validate concepts with consumers, and collaborate with factories and co-manufacturers to move ideas from concept to launch, while managing budgets and cross-functional teams.

An advanced degree is a plus; 5-7 years in brand management, GCC/MEA experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field; Master's is a plus.
• 5–7 years in brand management and/or innovation, preferably in a multinational CPG company.
• Track record of owning and growing large-scale brands; strong strategic, commercial and analytical acumen.
• Has taken innovation from whitespace to shelf, ideally across more than one brand or category.
• Hands-on with full-funnel marketing plans - media, in-store, digital; works well in complex matrix organizations.
• Middle East & Africa experience a plus, with focus on GCC/Egypt.

Responsibilities

• Own & manage the brand, analyze category performance, and identify whitespace opportunities for growth.
• Set short and long-term brand strategy to deliver quality growth and penetration.
• Manage budget and resources to deliver the marketing/activity calendar.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create an integrated business plan for market initiatives.
• Lead innovation across the portfolio, build business cases, and validate concepts with consumers.

Skills

Brand management

Innovation

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional leadership

Market analysis

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Job Description:

Job Purpose

A brand custodian with responsibility and accountability for designing and executing the local brand strategy and marketing activities that deliver specific brand objectives, including NSV and penetration targets, in alignment with the global framework.

The brand manager must have the experience, expertise and skill set to develop an optimum calendar in local market, while ensuring excellence in execution on ground.

The role also leads innovation across the chocolate portfolio. The brand manager is the go-to person for identifying and valuing new opportunity spaces, building the business case, validating it with consumers and working with factories and co-manufacturers to take the right ideas from concept to launch.

Roles & Responsibilities

Own & manage the brand

• Analyze the category and brand performance and identify whitespace opportunities to accelerate growth.
• Set the brand's short and long term strategy to deliver quality growth and growing penetration.
• Manage budget and resources effectively to deliver marketing/activity calendar
• Connect with cross functional teams to support creation of an integrated business plan that ensures delivery of key initiatives in market
• Create and develop the local market brand marketing plan and activity calendar, and manage budget and resources to deliver it.

Deliver market relevant brand content

• Leverage the right global content when relevant & work with the content team & media team to find the most effective ways to support the brand
• Ensure content & executions are consistent with global brand guidelines and are locally relevant

Manage & deliver projects & activities

• Co-lead with the activity management team a cross functional ATG team to collect all inputs required to deliver a 3-year activity plan including media plans, NPIs, BPIs, consumer promotions and other national activities.

Lead innovation across the portfolio

• Identify and map opportunity spaces across chocolate brands and markets, using category, consumer and competitor data.
• Size and value each opportunity (size of prize, MAC, GM%, incrementality) and recommend which to pursue.
• Validate the right innovations with consumers through various market research methods
• Build the business case and present it at stage gates to secure resources and leadership alignment.
• Lead early conversations with factories and co-manufacturers on feasibility, capex, MOQ, and timelines.
• Develop and manage a 3Y innovation pipeline that balances locally developed innovation with global innovations relevant to the market, and hand validated projects over to brand teams for launch.

Education & Professional Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; Master's is a plus.

Knowledge / Experience

• 5-7 years in brand management and/or innovation, preferably in a multinational CPG company.
• Track record of owning and growing large-scale brands; strong strategic, commercial and analytical acumen.
• Has taken innovation from whitespace to shelf, ideally across more than one brand or category.
• Hands-on with full-funnel marketing plans - media, in-store, digital; works well in complex matrix organizations.
• Middle East & Africa experience a plus, with focus on GCC/Egypt.