UK & Irl Brand Manager

Barrington James; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Specialist Pharmaceutical Company in Greater Manchester seeks an experienced Brand Manager to own the local UK&I brand strategy, adapting global plans and driving commercial results. You will lead campaigns, manage the budget and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful launches and lifecycle management.

You will work with KAMs, medical and global marketing teams to align plans, prepare for loss of exclusivity, and build strong external stakeholder relationships.

Qualifications

• Around 10 years in brand management, at least 5 in pharmaceutical brands.
• Experience managing branded products.
• Proven involvement in product or brand launches.
• Experience with medical, global marketing and material approvals.
• External stakeholder experience with KOLs and advisory boards.
• Lives within commuting distance of Greater Manchester, in-office at least twice weekly.

Responsibilities

• Own the UK and Ireland brand strategy, adapting global plans to local market needs.
• Develop new campaigns and creative approaches to market challenges.
• Manage the brand budget, allocating resources for best return including events.
• Lead lifecycle planning for loss of exclusivity and product launches.
• Collaborate with KAMs, medical and global teams to align plans and approvals.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders and conduct market research.

Skills

Brand management

Product launches

Stakeholder management

Budget management

KOL engagement

Job description

Specialist Pharmaceutical Company | Greater Manchester (hybrid: at least 2 days a week in the office) | Permanent, full-time

About the Company

Our client is a specialist pharmaceutical company with a portfolio built on branded generic molecules, giving patients access to licensed, high-quality treatments in a specialist therapy area. It’s a lean, fast-moving business where every team member has a real impact on the company’s growth.

The Role

This is a new position for the UK and Ireland. It goes beyond operational marketing and gives you genuine ownership of the local brand strategy.

Working from the global strategy, you’ll adapt it to the UK and Irish markets, bring your own ideas to the table, and make decisions on how budget and resources are used to get the best return. You’ll work closely with the field team and with internal and external stakeholders to turn strategy into commercial results, including preparing core brands for loss of exclusivity and launching new products.

Key Responsibilities

Brand strategy and planning

• Own the UK and Ireland brand strategy, adapting global plans to local market needs
• Develop new campaigns and creative ways to tackle specific market challenges
• Manage the brand budget, deciding where resources go for the best return, including which events to sponsor
• Lead strategic planning for loss of exclusivity, positioning core brands against generic competitors

Launches and lifecycle management

• Plan and deliver pre-launch and launch activities for new products in the UK and Ireland
• Manage the brand lifecycle across the portfolio

Commercial partnership

• Work closely with the UK and Ireland Key Account Manager team
• Gather feedback from the KAMs and the leadership team to understand sales direction and what’s needed to drive performance
• Test strategy and promotional materials with the KAMs to make sure they work in the field
• Work with the global marketing team to align local and global brand plans
• Partner with the medical team on approval of all promotional materials
• Build relationships with external stakeholders, including key opinion leaders and advisory boards
• Design and manage market research projects that inform brand decisions

About You

• Around 10 years of brand management experience (at least 5) in the pharmaceutical industry
• Experience managing branded products
• Proven involvement in product or brand launches, from pre-launch to implementation
• Experience working with medical, global marketing and other internal stakeholders, including material approvals
• External stakeholder experience with KOLs, advisory boards and market research
• Lives within commuting distance of Greater Manchester and can be in the office at least twice a week

Highly desirable

• Experience with generics or branded generics, ideally alongside branded products
• Experience managing loss of exclusivity or competing against generic entrants
• Experience in Ireland as well as the UK

The person

• High energy, with plenty of initiative and comfort in a fast-paced environment
• Hands-on and willing to roll up your sleeves, able to deliver results with lean budgets and a small team
• Strategic thinker who can turn ideas into practical plans
• Builds strong relationships with commercial, medical and global teams