Director Frontline Marketing

The Coca-Cola Company; Riyadh Region; On-site; SAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beverage company is seeking a Director, Marketing for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to drive marketing performance and ensure brand growth. The ideal candidate will have over 12 years of experience in progressive marketing roles within FMCG, with proven leadership in consumer markets. Responsibilities include managing marketing strategies, collaborating closely with operations, and leading innovation initiatives to enhance brand effectiveness. Fluency in English and Arabic is required, with a strong preference for Saudi Nationals.

Benefits

Annual Incentive up to 30%

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive marketing and leadership experience, ideally in FMCG.
• Proven experience partnering closely with Operations and bottling organizations.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end marketing performance for KSA.
• Drive integrated marketing strategies across channels.
• Oversee brand activation and field-level marketing efforts.

Skills

Leadership

Business Planning

Marketing Communications (MarCom)

Brand Strategy

Market Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Cross-Functional Integration

Profit and Loss (P&L) Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing or related field

MBA preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you ready to make a splash in your marketing career? Join The Coca-Cola Company, a brand that has been refreshing the world for more than 139 years. We are seeking a Director, Marketing – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to lead end-to-end marketing performance for one of our most strategic and fast-growing markets.

Overview

This role sits at the heart of Coca-Cola’s Operating Unit–Market operating model, combining local consumer intimacy with the scale and power of global platforms. You will be accountable for brand growth, innovation delivery, integrated execution, and capability building, working in close partnership with the KSA Operations team and bottling partner to translate strategy into measurable, in-market impact.

What You’ll Do For Us

Strategic Leadership & System Integration

• Act as the Marketing Lead for KSA, accountable for end-to-end marketing performance, brand growth, innovation delivery, and system alignment within the Middle East Franchise.
• Partner very closely with the KSA Operations team to ensure marketing strategies are operationally feasible, prioritized, and embedded into market execution plans.
• Lead Annual Business Plan (ABP) portfolio choices and marketing calendar, influencing longer-term plans and ensuring disciplined execution with clear ROI.
• Drive vertical integration from brand strategy to actionable and measurable activation plans across consumer and shopper marketing.

Brand, Innovation & Execution Excellence

• Own end-to-end local brand and innovation plans, including flywheel execution, performance tracking, and course correction, in collaboration with Operations and bottlers.
• Drive system-wide alignment and oversee the execution of national, regional, channel, and customer-specific campaigns across KSA.
• Lead Integrated Marketing Experience (IMX) locally in line with OU (Operating Unit) strategy, including media, content, digital, social, influencers, Studio X assets, labels, and experiences.
• Champion local consumer, shopper, and cultural insights, ensuring they inform strategy articulation, creative development, and activation planning.

Bottler, Operations & Customer Leadership

• Work in tight partnership with bottling partner and the KSA Operations team to align on priorities, system investments, activation plans, and execution calendars.
• Lead bottler alignment across marketing campaigns and innovations, ensuring clarity on objectives, roles, timelines, and success metrics.
• Oversee field-level brand activation, including point-of-sale, promotions, experiential marketing, and events, in close coordination with bottlers and Operations.
• Support the system’s Customer & Shopper Marketing agenda, maintaining strong relationships with key customers, bottlers, and partners.

Financial & Performance Accountability

• Own direct marketing expense management, ensuring strong governance, due diligence, and value delivery.
• Apply brand analytics and performance insights to identify risks, opportunities, and growth levers across brands, channels, and the overall KSA business.

People, Capabilities & Ways Of Working

• Lead and develop a local marketing leadership team with multiple direct reports, fostering strong collaboration across Marketing, Operations, and the bottling system.
• Deploy and scale modern marketing capabilities, data- and tech-enabled ways of working, and agile execution models.
• Build a culture of growth mindset, creative excellence, inclusivity, and servant leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• Strong, consistent brand growth and innovation impact in KSA
• Seamless Marketing–Operations–Bottler integration driving execution excellence
• Confident, capable local marketing leadership team
• OU strategies translated into real, in-market results
• Deep consumer intimacy converted into commercial impact

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field; MBA preferred
• 12+ years of progressive marketing and leadership experience, ideally in FMCG / consumer goods, with frontline or market marketing exposure in KSA
• Proven experience partnering closely with Operations and bottling organizations
• Strong background across brand strategy, innovation, creative development, connections, media, and integrated campaigns
• Strong commercial, financial, and P&L acumen
• Track record of leading cross-functional, cross-geographical teams
• Demonstrated ability to leverage data, digital, and analytics as competitive advantages
• Experience operating effectively within matrixed, system-based organizations
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and influencing skills
• Ability to navigate complex, fast-changing environments
• Fluency in English and Arabic
• Saudi Nationals strongly preferred

Skills

Leadership; Business Planning; Marketing Communications (MarCom); Shopper Marketing; Brand Strategy; Demand Generation; Market Innovation; Campaign Development; Analytical Thinking; Competitor Analysis; Marketing Strategies; Marketing Mix; Microsoft Office; Long Term Planning; Brand Marketing; Brand Storytelling; Cross-Functional Integration; Brand Management; Profit and Loss (P&L) Management

Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage: 30

Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.