Otc Marketing Manager

Ultra Pharmaceutical And Medical Placements; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Ultra Pharmaceutical And Medical Placements in Centurion, Gauteng, seeks an experienced Marketing Manager with strong OTC consumer healthcare marketing background. You will drive brand growth, lead strategic plans, and manage campaigns to enhance market share and profitability.

Requirements include a tertiary marketing degree and 6–10 years of progressive marketing experience, with at least 5 years in a senior/manager role.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years of progressive marketing experience, with 5+ years in a senior or management capacity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute brand and portfolio strategies across traditional, digital and OTC channels.
• Lead marketing campaigns to drive growth, profitability and market share.
• Manage BMI budgets and ROI, and provide financial analysis for strategic decisions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to support NPD and lifecycle management.
• Build and develop a high-performing marketing team.

Skills

Brand management

Strategic marketing

Leadership

Market analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing or related

Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Leading OTC / pharmaceutical manufacturer requires an experienced Marketing Manager to join their team based in Centurion. This position requires strong experience in the pharmaceutical industry (Frontshop & Over-the-counter), with a proven track record in consumer healthcare and OTC brand marketing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF JOB PURPOSE

To drive the growth, profitability, and market leadership of the assigned brand and product portfolios by developing, executing, and optimizing strategic marketing plans. This role is responsible for market analysis, brand positioning, and integrated marketing initiatives that maximize revenue and market share and brand performance within the division.

Additionally, the role ensures cross-functional collaboration, innovation, and a high-performance marketing culture to achieve sustainable long-term business success.

KEY OUTPUTS / SUCCESS

• Drive brand value and volume growth, market share and brand performance objectives.
• Optimise marketing investment and achievement of profitability targets.
• Successful development and execution of marketing and brand strategies and annual plans.
• Execute high-impact marketing campaigns that drive consumer demand and sales performance.
• Delivery of agreed new product development (NPD) and innovation initiatives.
• Leverage commercial insight, consumer understanding, and strategic thinking to drive sustainable growth, profitability, and long-term business value.
• Effective leadership and development of a high-performing marketing team.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, COMPETENCIES

Tertiary degree in a relevant technical or commercial discipline or a commercial degree with an emphasis on marketing.

6–10 years of progressive marketing experience, at least 5 years in a senior or management capacity, leading teams and driving strategy.

Requires strong experience in the pharmaceutical industry (Frontshop & Over-the-counter), with a proven track record in consumer healthcare and OTC brand marketing.

Functional Knowledge:

• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical brand marketing and relevant markets.
• Strong ability to conduct thorough market, feasibility and forecasting analyses.
• Comprehensive understanding of marketing principles, financial management, and commercial acumen.
• Organizational and business acumen, with an understanding of digital marketing and consumer trends.

Skills:

• Strong communication, negotiation and networking skills.
• Effective leadership and conflict management abilities.
• Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex strategies into clear messaging.
• Advanced computer literacy, including data-driven decision-making and digital marketing tools.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Competencies
• Strategic, analytical and broad-minded thinking.
• Decisive and insightful approach to problem-solving.
• Customer-centric and responsive mindset.
• Innovative, conceptual and commercial thinking.

Leadership Competencies:

• Drives accountability, urgency and a high-performance culture.
• Builds strong stakeholder relationships and collaborates effectively across functions and cultures.
• Develops talent through coaching, mentorship, and performance management.
• Leads change, fosters innovation and influences strategic decisions.
• Demonstrates strong commercial acumen to drive growth, profitability and business performance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS ROLE

• Drive Sustainable Growth & Market Leadership – Achieve strong and consistent growth in sales, profitability, and brand contribution to secure market leadership in key focus areas.
• Meet Financial Targets – Deliver projected turnover value and volume growth, and gross profit targets while optimizing brand performance.
• Execute Marketing Strategies – Develop and implement marketing strategies within the allocated budget, ensuring optimal return on investment (ROI).
• Develop & Monitor Strategic Plans – Formulate and oversee sustainable, integrated marketing strategies across assigned portfolios.
• Enhance Sales & Marketing Synergy – Strengthen collaboration between sales and marketing teams to drive aligned business objectives.
• Lead Innovation Initiatives – Drive product, service, and campaign innovations to maintain a competitive edge.
• Foster a High-Performance Culture – Build and nurture a winning, results-driven team culture that supports business objectives.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ACTIVITIES OF THIS ROLE

Strategic Marketing

• Develop and execute brand, portfolio, pricing, and go-to-market strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Drive sustainable growth across domestic and export markets.
• Strengthen brand positioning and competitive advantage.
• Translate consumer, customer, and market insights into effective marketing and commercial strategies.
• Develop integrated marketing plans across traditional, digital, e-commerce, and healthcare professional channels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, partners, stakeholders, and industry influencers.

Strategic Planning & Market Intelligence

• Generate actionable market, consumer, competitor, and category insights to support decision-making.
• Identify growth opportunities, emerging trends, and potential risks.
• Conduct market assessments and recommend strategies to capitalise on opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Provide marketing input into strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting and business reviews.

Innovation & Portfolio Management

• Lead the identification and prioritisation of new product and portfolio opportunities.
• Develop business cases for innovation and portfolio growth initiatives.
• Manage the innovation pipeline to ensure successful and timely product launches.
• Develop and execute brand strategies and annual brand and innovation plans.
• Continuously optimise portfolio performance through lifecycle and portfolio management.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Manage brand marketing investment (BMI) budgets to maximise ROI.
• Monitor portfolio performance, profitability, sales trends, and marketing effectiveness.
• Drive commercial excellence through data‑driven decision‑making, portfolio optimisation, pricing and profitability management.
• Support commercial decision-making through financial analysis, forecasting and reporting.
• Negotiate and manage marketing‑related supplier and partnership agreements.

Leadership & Governance

• Lead, develop and inspire a high-performing marketing team.
• Act as the business owner for the assigned portfolio, balancing consumer, customer, operational and financial priorities.
• Lead cross‑functional collaboration across Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, Regulatory and R&D teams.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and drive execution of strategic priorities.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and corporate governance requirements.

SYSTEMS, TOOLS & REPORTING

• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams)
• ERP and business intelligence reporting platforms. SAP ERP will be an advantage.
• Marketing performance and analytics tools
• Customer and market research platforms
• Digital marketing and social media management tools
• Budgeting and forecasting systems
• Monthly management reporting
• Brand performance, sales and profitability reporting
• Marketing budget and ROI reporting
• New product development and launch reporting.