Manager, Brand Activation & Partnerships

Job Description

As the Manager, Brand Activation & Partnerships – Chains, you’ll drive growth within the Chains channel, a priority for the US Away From Home (AFH) Business Unit. This role focuses on developing strategic priorities for our AFH customers, co-create strategic customer marketing activations to support core brands & innovation launches, deliver go-to-market plans while building and strengthening key external partnerships to drive growth.

AFH is all about Taste, Flavor, and Experience and the Chains channel is a place that all three elements come to life on the biggest stages of the restaurant industry. We have aligned and dedicated specific resources to support current and accelerate new, high impact strategic initiatives for this channel and with that brings high visibility and high expectations.  Opportunity resides to amplify our portfolio of leading iconic brands on a regional and/or national scale, all while creating high impact consumer experiences.

This role provides direct interaction with cross-functional activities including AFH Leadership, Consumer Insights, Sales, Brand Marketing, Operations, Research & Development, and Finance, resulting in strengthened marketing fundamentals and a holistic approach to driving business growth. This role also interacts with customers and industry partners, developing direct & impactful relationships to effectively lead & promote marketing strategies that will help drive growth and market expansion.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Lead marketing strategy and execution for Chains Restaurants

• Design and implement impactful customer marketing activations across in-restaurant experiences, elevating brand equity and winning market share.

• Acting like an owner & Power of We mindset: You will collaborate across multiple cross-functional teams to proactively seek, create business opportunities and make strategic and tactical recommendations with confidence; no does not phase you

• Relationship focus & building the future: Develop relationships with key customers and industry partners to champion the marketing agenda and build strategic long term plans.

• Partner with Sales, Insights, Culinary & Marketing teams to identify and close new business opportunities, driving revenue growth, market penetration & share gains.

• Collaborate with the AFH Digital team to advance digital marketing capabilities.

• Develop initiatives and partner with Sales to promote new products, creatively accelerating innovation adoption and execution while delivering flawless execution of go-to market plans

• Utilize consumer, operator, industry trends and chef insights that translates into customer benefits while shaping channel strategies and create compelling customer selling stories that you will lead with passion.

• Lead strategic initiatives that contribute to P&L growth, ensuring alignment with financial targets and efficient resource allocation.

• Represent Kraft Heinz within key industry events

• Drive connectivity with international KHC partners to drive global strategy and campaigns across markets where applicable. 

Expected Experience & Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field.  MBA with a marketing focus is preferred

• 3 to 5 years of experience in multi-channel marketing, product management, brand management, or CPG Sales. Experience in Foodservice is a plus.

• Exceptional ability to influence and build credibility at all levels, internally and externally, to align decisions with customer needs. 

• Showcase with confidence ability to inspire, prioritize with focus, plan ahead effectively along with strong interpersonal skills.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop long-term marketing strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners while delivering customer activations, product launches and all other initiatives with executional excellence.

• Proactive problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset for navigating complex challenges.

• Analytical skills to interpret quantitative data, conduct trend analysis, and develop data-driven marketing strategies.

• Ability to balance creativity with business needs, leveraging consumer insights to inspire innovative marketing campaigns.

• Experience leading strategic initiatives with P&L accountability and financial management.

• Ability to quickly develop a level of organizational agility to navigate both formal and informal channel