Manager, Brand Activation and Partnerships - C store

Job Description

As the Customer Marketing Manager, Brand Activation and Partnerships – National Accounts (NA), you will bring our iconic brands to life through our strategic Non-Commercial channel, which is a key priority for US Away From Home (AFH) Business Unit.  This role is crucial in developing, leading and executing strategic channel priorities, co-create and implement strategic customer marketing activations to support core brands & innovation launches, deliver go-to-market plans while building and strengthening internal and external partnerships to drive growth.  This role offers the opportunity to amplify our brand portfolio on a national scale while creating high impact consumer experiences and growth strategies within Convenience Stores

Convenience Stores channel consists of several large customers such as 7 Eleven and Circle K, as well as independent and regional convenience stores. This channel has incredible opportunities to reach consumers through traditional AFH touchpoints, such as the hot food bar, commissary dining and attached QSR food concepts, while also supporting center store sell-in for traditional retail products.

Understanding this channel dynamics and levers for impact is essential given high impact initiatives will drive visibility to senior leadership both internally and externally. 

This role provides direct interaction with cross-functional teams including Consumer Insights, Sales, Brand Marketing, Operations, Research & Development, and Finance, resulting in strengthened marketing fundamentals while ensuring cohesive approach to driving business growth as a team.   This role also interacts directly with customer and industry partners, developing direct relationships to effectively drive the marketing agenda and support the overall customer growth strategy.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Marketing Manager for Away From Home National Accounts – Convenience channel
• Responsible for marketing strategy development and execution to drive channel and customer growth in accordance with brand and Away From Home strategic priorities
• Supports joint business planning driving marketing strategy with priority customers
• Develops and maintains relationships with customer and industry counterparts
• Drives collaboration, development, flawless communication & execution across all stakeholders
• High level of curiosity to understand & analyze business, consumer insights, market trends, and competitive activity
• Takes ownership to identify specific channel/consumer trends & needs while turning insights into actions into clear & impactful steps to influence key stakeholders to drive sales
• Initiates and leads commercialization initiatives with strong project and time management
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional leaders including but not limited to: Sales, Brand Marketing, Finance, Project Management, R&D, Operations, Culinary, and Consumer Insights
• P&L management, indirect ownership supporting Finance and Sales and understanding of key levers

Expected Experience & Required Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business or related field, MBA preferred
• 7+ years of experience in multi-channel customer marketing, product management, brand management
• Away From Home marketing experience a plus.
• Experience in strategic and tactical marketing plan development, managing the P&L and budget to deliver on critical initiatives
• Ability to synthesize consumer, operator, and channel trends translating data into actions
• Outstanding verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills with a proven ability to work collaboratively with internal and external cross functional teams
• Self-starter mentality with a positive attitude and acting like an owner mindset to make a difference every day
• Ability to handle simultaneous projects and deliver within agreed upon time frames
• Adapts to changes quickly with ability to pivot successfully
• Diligent with Strong organizational and project management skills
• Strong Ability to persuade and build coalitions and credibility across organizations
• Proactive problem solver, with ability to assess an issue and develop a clear & concise action plan
• Comfortable with ambiguity and internally motivated to drive improvement every day
• Understands P&L management
• Proficient in Microsoft office suite and tools
• Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% of the time for business meetings, site visits and industry/customer events as applicable

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their