Senior Brand Manager

Hormel Foods; Rochester, Austin (MN, MN); On-site; USD 123,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401(k) with employer match

Stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance for children

Job summary

Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, MN seeks a Senior Brand Manager to lead the Black Label Bacon portfolio with a strong general management mindset. You will own the P&L, drive pricing strategies, and shape the marketing programs and product renovations to hit long‑term financial goals.

Responsibilities span brand planning, consumer insight analysis, cross‑functional leadership, and channel development, with occasional travel. A relocation package to Austin, MN may be offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5–8 years of marketing, marketing-related, or sales experience.
• MBA and 3–5 years of marketing, marketing-related, or sales experience.
• Strong analytics and business acumen.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing direct reports.
• Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require sponsorship for a work visa; authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes the annual operating plan targets and marketing objectives to meet AOP.
• Owns the P&L and manages margins, pricing/trade strategies, and marketing budgets.
• Leads a 3-year pipeline and drives new product/line extensions based on consumer insights.
• Provides governance over portfolio reviews and resource allocation for initiatives.
• Leads channel development and collaborates with sales to grow brand presence.
• Works with agencies to plan media, promotions, and PR.
• Analyzes market trends and competitive landscape to drive recommendations.

Skills

Marketing experience

Sales experience

Analytics

Budget management

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree + marketing/sales experience

MBA (optional)

Job description

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

To save time applying, Hormel Foods does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas for this position at this time.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters®, Skippy®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World’s Best Companies, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position will play a critical role in growing the Black Label® Bacon brand by developing winning strategies that shape all elements of the marketing mix. The role requires a general management mindset that leads the marketing strategy and business management of the portfolio. This position will be responsible for the successful stewardship of the product portfolio, delivering short and long-term financial results via prudent business management, product renovation and innovation, and exceptional marketing programs. Responsibilities will include a subset of the portfolio as assigned and will have multiple direct reports.

Essential Functions

Business Planning, P&L Management, and Business Initiative Execution:

• Develops and executes the annual operating plan (AOP) financial targets while establishing brand/business objectives, strategies, and tactics to attain AOP.
• Achieves volume, net revenue, gross margin, and marketing mix targets.
• Owns the P&L and actively manages critical levers, including margin improvement initiatives, pricing / trade strategies, and marketing budgets.
• Provides oversight and direction into critical business processes, including Integrated Business Planning
• Leads future growth by developing a 3-year pipeline, identifying new product and line extension opportunities by analyzing consumer trends, determining specific market needs and potential, and building a business case, including driving the launch of initiatives with retail sales.
• Champions Governance and Portfolio Review processes to ensure proper resource allocation and strategic fit for all initiatives.
• Works with agency partners to create annual consumer media, promotion, and public relations plans.
• Effectively deploys team to analyze the business, category trends, and competitive landscape to deliver insights, recommendations, and actions to achieve objectives.

Innovation and Renovation:

• Leads team to identify consumer needs and leverage insights to build short and long-term innovation plans, including white space opportunities, product extensions, category expansion, and packaging improvements.

Brand Equity Management:

• Leads the brand team in the management of brand equity development and consumer engagement strategies and tactics to achieve consumer and business objectives.

Pricing Strategy Leadership:

• Updates and evolves pricing strategy across retail customer channels by monitoring raw material markets and adjusting pricing as necessary. Can include different pricing models by channel and adjustments to promotional plans that work with the pricing models.
• Leverages Price Pack Architecture (PPA) research to evolve product portfolio and retailer pricing strategies to best fit shopper needs.
• Leads operations, logistics, forecasting, and purchasing departments to management of finished goods and supply inventories.
• Leads and manages indirect cross-functional team members to accomplish projects that support brand initiatives and business needs.
• Monitors marketplace dynamics and implements corrective action when and where necessary.

Channel/Customer Development:

• Work closely with national category sales and direct sales force to deliver sales growth for the brand, including promotion timing, supply chain coordination and protecting distribution.
• Develops channel strategy, assists in addressing customer category/brand opportunities and challenges, and works with category management on strategic selling.
• Sell-in category vision to top customers with the excitement and passion that is core to the brand positioning, through face-to-face customer meetings and frequent meetings with direct sales team.
• Monitors marketplace dynamics and implements corrective action when and where necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree and 5-8 years of marketing, marketing related, or sales experience OR MBA and 3-5 years of marketing, marketing related, or sales experience
• Proven ability to understand and leverage analytics, consumer insights, and business acumen to create comprehensive business plans
• Strong understanding of data (syndicated, shipment, primary and secondary research) and the ability to interpret results for decision-making
• Pattern of initiative with a self-starter mentality
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing direct reports and deploying team resources appropriately to deliver business objectives
• Proven problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment on a variety of complex projects
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written skills. Strong organizational savvy, negotiating skills, and conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrated aptitude and effectiveness in budget and financial management
• Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require sponsorship for a work visa
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer

LOCATION: Global Headquarters, Austin MN

A comprehensive relocation package to the Austin, MN area may be offered, if required.

At Hormel Foods, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. The base hiring pay range for the Senior Brand Manager role is between $122,800 – $171,925 per year, and your actual base pay within that range will depend upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge, skill set, level of experience, and geographic market location.

BENEFITS: Other components of Hormel Foods’ total compensation package includes comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, discretionary annual merit increases, 401(k) with employer match, stock purchase plan, paid time off, free two-year community/technical college tuition for children of employees, and more.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: 10% of the time

At Hormel we invite difference and diversity in all aspects. We offer a space of support, understanding, and community. We are committed to the journey! Learn more about our progress here: https://www.hormelfoods.com/about/diversity-and-inclusion/

Hormel Foods provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.