Marketing Specialist

Central Garden & Pet; Franklin (WI); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401k with company match

Paid vacation & holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Education & training opportunities

Discounts on pet products

Job summary

Central Garden & Pet is seeking a Marketing Specialist for Kaytee Small Animal and Pet Bird brands in the Milwaukee area. You will help bring new products to life from concept to shelf, collaborating with product development, R&D, operations, and creative teams to manage a large portfolio and shape brand presence in-store and online.

The role offers hands-on experience with national consumer branding, ecommerce strategy, and cross-functional collaboration, with a clear path to Brand or Product

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field.
• 1–2 years experience in marketing, product management, or related field (CPG a plus).
• Familiarity with syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI) is a bonus.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to handle multiple projects.
• Clear communication and proactive problem-solving mindset.
• Interest in or passion for the pet industry (small animals or birds a plus).

Responsibilities

• Help manage a portfolio of Kaytee Small Animal and Pet Bird products.
• Support new product launches from concept to market release.
• Create clear briefs for packaging, digital, and marketing materials.
• Maintain and update product information across digital and print platforms.
• Use data and market trends to support pricing, merchandising, and assortment decisions.
• Coordinate with Sales, R&D, Operations, Finance, and external agencies to keep projects moving.
• Develop sales tools and materials that help bring products to life for customers.
• Ensure packaging meets brand, legal, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects across marketing, product, and operations teams.
• Develop shot lists and scripts for product videos and digital campaigns.

Skills

Organization

Project management

Communication

Proactivity

Cross-functional collaboration

Pet industry interest

Education

Bachelor's degree (Marketing/Communications/Business)

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Marketing Specialist – Kaytee Small Animal & Pet Bird

Love pets and want to build brands people care about?
We're looking for a Marketing Specialist to join our Kaytee Pet team and help bring new products to life—from concept to shelf.

We’re a collaborative, down-to-earth team that values curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere—and we encourage questions, learning, and growth. We take pride in creating a supportive environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and encouraged to make an impact while growing both personally and professionally.

In this role, you’ll collaborate cross-functionally with product development, R&D, operations, and creative teams to bring products to market, manage a large portfolio, and shape how our brands show up in-store and online. If you're organized, curious, creative, and excited to grow in marketing, this is a strong entry point into brand or product management.

Responsibilities

• Help manage a portfolio of products across our Kaytee Small Animal and Pet Bird businesses
• Support new product launches from concept through market release
• Create clear, actionable creative briefs for packaging, digital, and marketing materials
• Maintain and update product information across digital and print platforms
• Use data and market trends to support pricing, merchandising, and assortment decisions
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Sales, R&D, Operations, Finance, and external agencies) to keep projects moving and aligned
• Develop sales tools and materials that help bring products to life for customers
• Support day-to-day marketing operations and ensure projects stay on track
• Ensure packaging meets brand, legal, and regulatory requirements
• Manage multiple concurrent projects across marketing, product, and operations teams
• Develop shot lists, and scripts for product videos and digital campaigns

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience launching products in a national consumer brand
• Experience developing products to be sold in traditional brick and mortar stores and extensive experience in what it takes to win in Ecommerce
• Exposure to cross-functional teams across marketing, product, and operations
• Experience working with real market and sales data
• A clear path to grow into Brand Management or Product Management roles
• Exposure to the full product lifestyle, from concept through launch and post-launch optimization
• Ownership of projects with visible impact on the business
• Opportunities to present work to internal stakeholders and contribute to key business decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field
• 1-2 years of experience in marketing, product management, or a related field (CPG experience is a plus)
• Familiarity with syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI) is a bonus, not required
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple projects at once
• Clear communication skills (written and verbal)
• Comfort working in tools like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• A proactive mindset—you ask questions, solve problems, and take initiative
• Interest in or passion for the pet industry (experience with small animals or pet birds is a plus)

Currently working a hybrid schedule: 4 days in office, 1 day remote

Description

Marketing Specialist – Kaytee Small Animal & Pet Bird

Location: Milwaukee Metro

Love pets and want to build brands people care about?
We're looking for a Marketing Specialist to join our Kaytee Pet team and help bring new products to life—from concept to shelf.

We’re a collaborative, down-to-earth team that values curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere—and we encourage questions, learning, and growth. We take pride in creating a supportive environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and encouraged to make an impact while growing both personally and professionally.

In this role, you’ll collaborate cross-functionally with product development, R&D, operations, and creative teams to bring products to market, manage a large portfolio, and shape how our brands show up in-store and online. If you're organized, curious, creative, and excited to grow in marketing, this is a strong entry point into brand or product management.

Responsibilities

• Help manage a portfolio of products across our Kaytee Small Animal and Pet Bird businesses
• Support new product launches from concept through market release
• Create clear, actionable creative briefs for packaging, digital, and marketing materials
• Maintain and update product information across digital and print platforms
• Use data and market trends to support pricing, merchandising, and assortment decisions
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Sales, R&D, Operations, Finance, and external agencies) to keep projects moving and aligned
• Develop sales tools and materials that help bring products to life for customers
• Support day-to-day marketing operations and ensure projects stay on track
• Ensure packaging meets brand, legal, and regulatory requirements
• Manage multiple concurrent projects across marketing, product, and operations teams
• Develop shot lists, and scripts for product videos and digital campaigns

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience launching products in a national consumer brand
• Experience developing products to be sold in traditional brick and mortar stores and extensive experience in what it takes to win in Ecommerce
• Exposure to cross-functional teams across marketing, product, and operations
• Experience working with real market and sales data
• A clear path to grow into Brand Management or Product Management roles
• Exposure to the full product lifestyle, from concept through launch and post-launch optimization
• Ownership of projects with visible impact on the business
• Opportunities to present work to internal stakeholders and contribute to key business decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field
• 1-2 years of experience in marketing, product management, or a related field (CPG experience is a plus)
• Familiarity with syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI) is a bonus, not required
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple projects at once
• Clear communication skills (written and verbal)
• Comfort working in tools like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• A proactive mindset—you ask questions, solve problems, and take initiative
• Interest in or passion for the pet industry (experience with small animals or pet birds is a plus)

Currently working a hybrid schedule: 4 days in office, 1 day remote

BENEFITS PACKAGE & EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Free Life and Disability Insurance
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401k with 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution
• Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
• Employee Assistance Program
• Access to thousands of free online courses
• Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
• Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
• Referral Program with cash bonus
• Access to on-demand pay
• Paid parental leave

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the Company's purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro®, Aqueon®, Best Bully Sticks®, Cadet®, C&S®, Farnam®, Ferry-Morse®, Kaytee®, Nylabone®, Pennington®, Sevin® and Zoёcon®. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, Central has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. The Company is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.