Senior Manager, Brand Management

Whirlpool Corporation; Benton Harbor (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount

Education reimbursement

Fitness programs

Job summary

Whirlpool Corporation’s KitchenAid Small Appliances (KASA) business is seeking a visionary Senior Brand Manager to lead Global Creative Strategy, Category Brand Management, and Master Brand campaigns.

You will steward the KitchenAid Small Appliances brand identity worldwide, serving as the strategic bridge between WOW Studios, Global CCTs, and regional marketing leads across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 8+ years of progressive marketing experience including Brand Management, Creative Agency Management, Product Marketing, or Integrated Marketing Communications.
• Proven track record of direct team leadership and talent development.
• Experience managing complex agency/creative relationships with focus on workflow optimization, scoping, and production management. Travel between Benton Harbor, MI and Chicago, IL as required by campaigns & production lifecycles (< 20% broader travel).

Responsibilities

• Lead agency partnerships between KASA Global and WOW Studios, driving process improvements and operational excellence.
• Oversee Global Asset Playbooks delivery across appliance categories to ensure on-time and on-budget assets.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and career development for a 7-person marketing team.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to maintain governance and translate consumer insights into strong product messaging.
• Quarterback Master Brand activations and evolution of core platforms like “Make More Than Meals.”
• Oversee global campaign production budgets to ensure efficient marketing spend and ROI.

Skills

Team leadership

Agency management

Brand management

Marketing strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

Requisition ID: 72268

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2025, the company reported approximately $16 billion in annual net sales – close to 90% of which were in the Americas -41,000 employees, and 35 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

This Role In Summary

KitchenAid Small Appliances (KASA), a global leader and key growth engine within Whirlpool Corporation, is seeking a visionary, operationally savvy, and drive-oriented Senior Brand Manager to lead our Global Creative Strategy, Category Brand Management, and Master Brand campaigns.

In this high-impact global leadership role, you will be the primary steward of the KitchenAid Small Appliances brand identity worldwide. You will serve as the strategic bridge between our internal creative agency (WOW Studios), our Global Category Centered Teams (CCTs), and our Regional Marketing Leads across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

You will lead, coach, and empower a high-performing team of 7 direct reports (5 Global Marketing Managers and 2 Senior Brand Analysts) while driving the voice of the brand across cross functional teams alongside Product, Project Management, and Consumer Insights, amongst others. Your ultimate mission is to ensure world-class, insight-driven brand campaigns and asset playbooks are delivered on strategy, on time, on budget, and with the operational agility required by a high-growth business.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Lead agency partnerships: Act as the strategic executive liaison between KASA Global and WOW Studios, engaging in process improvement and reworking ways of working to drive operational excellence
• Manage asset playbooks: Oversee the delivery of Global Asset Playbooks across all appliance categories to ensure assets are on time and on budget
• Direct team leadership: Provide coaching, mentorship, and career development for a team of 7 marketers, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Drive Category Centered Team (CCT) governance: Partner with cross-functional leaders to maintain operational rigor and translate consumer insights into compelling product messaging.
• Steward global brand campaigns: Quarterback Master Brand activations, holiday campaigns, and evolution of core platforms like “Make More Than Meals.”
• Manage financial performance: Oversee global campaign production budgets to ensure efficient marketing capital allocation and return on investment.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive marketing experience spanning Brand Management, Creative Agency Management, Product Marketing, or Integrated Marketing Communications.
• Proven track record of direct team leadership and talent development.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex agency/creative relationships (internal agency model or external AOR), with a strong focus on workflow optimization, scoping, and production management.
  Willingness and ability to travel between Benton Harbor, MI and Chicago, IL as required by campaign and production lifecycles (< 20% broader travel).

Preferred Skills And Experiences

• MBA or Master’s Degree in Marketing or Business.

• Consumer Goods / Durables / Small Appliance Industry Experience preferred.

• Operational Problem Solver: A natural bridge-builder who excels at solving process bottlenecks, negotiating commercial trade-offs, and instilling agility into creative operations.

• Matrix Influence: Proven ability to partner with and influence senior cross-functional peers (Product, Engineering, Insights, Regional Commercial Leads) without direct authority.

• Brand Passion: A passion for culinary culture, design-led product innovation, and premium consumer storytelling.

Travel

• Business travel required between Chicago, IL and Benton Harbor, MI (Global Headquarters), and some international travel for regional visits and summits

What We Offer

Generous benefits package, Whirlpool employee discount, fitness & educational reimbursement programs, kitchenettes, and more! Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor locations: Beautiful, recently renovated office space, Barista Bar, biking/walking trails, and access to The Eddy – Early Childhood Center (depending upon availability – additional costs required).

Additional Information

Whirlpool’s Ways of Working

Benefits

Our goal is to provide an environment that helps you bring your best to Whirlpool every day. While employees in this role work in-person Monday through Friday. We offer flexibility and industry-leading time-off benefits that will help you balance what’s important at work and at home, including:

• Always On Flexibility – You will have the autonomy to manage personal, family, and outside-of-work commitments as needed.

• Two-Week Work from Anywhere – Minimum of one-week increments for a total of two weeks per year.

• Sabbatical – Four weeks paid leave after every five years of service.

Connect with us and learn more about Whirlpool Corporation

See what it’s like to work at Whirlpool by visiting Whirlpool Careers. Additional information about the company can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Whirlpool Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.