Senior Brand Manager

Zest Food Jobs; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading food and beverage company in Cambridgeshire is seeking a Senior Brand Manager for a 12-month fixed term contract. This role involves relaunching a key product, driving growth in the protein drinks segment, and developing an innovation pipeline. The ideal candidate should have experience in brand management, strong analytical skills, and a collaborative approach. This opportunity offers a competitive salary and hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Hybrid working

Opportunity for career growth

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a brand management role within the food/beverage industry.
• Strong track record of product re-launches and innovation delivery.
• Comfortable with strategic thinking and hands-on management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the re-launch of a breakfast drinks brand.
• Drive growth in the protein drinks category.
• Collaborate with sales, finance, and operations teams.

Skills

Collaboration

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Analytical capability

Communication

Job description

Senior Brand Manager – 12-Month FTC

• Location: Cambridgeshire (Hybrid Working - minimum 3 days on-site)
• Contract Type: 12-Month Fixed Term Contract
• Sector: FMCG / Food & Beverage

Are you a highly collaborative Senior Brand Manager with a passion for innovation, consumer-centricity, and a record of full accountability of building a strong innovation pipeline?

A unique opportunity has arisen for an experienced Senior Brand Manager to join this manufacturing business on a 12-month FTC basis. It offers the chance to re-launch a key product range, drive growth in the protein drinks segment, and build an innovation pipeline aligned with the dynamic "on-the-go" breakfast occasion.

You will be responsible for delivering the full brand plan – from strategy to execution – ensuring strong brand performance, effective budget control, and cross-functional alignment across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the re-launch and execution of a breakfast drinks brand, building a robust 'on the go' innovation pipeline.

- Drive growth in the protein drinks category through targeted marketing plans, consumer-led campaigns, and innovation.

- Build a 24-month innovation pipeline grounded in insight and category trends, working with NPD and cross-functional teams from concept to launch.

- Design, implement, and measure a 12–18-month brand plan to achieve KPIs and brand growth targets.

- Full accountability for brand budget allocation, monitoring and control, ensuring resources are maximised and ROI is delivered.

- Collaborate closely with Category, Sales, Finance, NPD, and Operations to align strategy and delivery.

- Act as the face of the brand with key retail partners, presenting innovation plans, marketing campaigns, and performance updates.

- Lead the execution of integrated campaigns across digital, PR, shopper, and experiential channels.

About You:

You’re a confident and collaborative marketer with strong commercial acumen, a passion for consumer trends, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams to deliver real business results.

You bring:

- Proven experience in a brand management role within food / beverage industry.

- A strong track record of product re-launches, innovation delivery, and performance management.

- Excellent strategic thinking, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

- Strong analytical capability – able to interpret data, generate insights, and turn them into actionable plans.

- Comfortable being both strategic and hands-on – this is a role where you’ll own the end-to-end brand journey.

- Integrity - dealing with others in an honest manner, take accountability for actions, supporting company values and maintaining confidentiality.

What’s on Offer:

- High-impact, strategic role on a brand with strong growth ambitions

- Opportunity to own full brand responsibility and lead a major product re-launch

- Hybrid working with a collaborative, cross-functional team

- Competitive salary, benefits, and the chance to make a visible difference in 12 months

If you're a brand leader ready to hit the ground running and make your mark in a dynamic and growing category, we’d love to hear from you.