General summary

The Associate Brand Manager (Contract Role 12M) plays a supportive role to the Brand Team in achieving key business objectives. This includes assisting innovative product launches, endorsing top-tier marketing campaigns, analyzing market data, synthesizing it and ensuring consistent brand messaging across all marketing channels.

The Associate Brand Manager plays a key role in driving business growth by identifying and executing impactful point-of-sale (POS) communication, supporting innovation opportunities, partnering with Sales to deliver annual business objectives, and contributing to long-term strategic brand planning. This position requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, in an entrepreneurial approach. A strong focus on shopper demand generation, cross-functional collaboration, and fact-based recommendations that influence decision-making

Primary Responsibilities

Manage Execution of Advertising plans with focus on Point of Sales Comms Plans

• Translate brand and business objectives into compelling POS communication strategies that drive shopper engagement and demand, in partnership with Shopper Marketing internal team.
• Support process management of integrated marketing communication (IMC) plans, including managing timeline and ensuring key milestones are met
• Partner closely with agencies, vendors, and internal cross-functional teams to deliver best-in-class POS materials and activations at retail Creates clear and concise briefs by applying brand positioning knowledge with guidance when necessary.
• Ensure consistent communication of POS strategies across the organization and field teams to maximize execution excellence.
• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of campaign elements and provide recommendations on how these findings should impact future advertising plans

Support New Product Launches (Innovation)

• Take an entrepreneurial approach to identifying and evaluating opportunities to expand the portfolio, including assessing products from the US for Canadian market potential. 
• Own the development and presentation of innovation business cases to senior leadership
• Collaborate with cross functional teams to ensure key milestones (gating) of commercialization process are achieved, while understanding the broader picture of what is needed to drive innovation success
• Track innovation performance, and advise on support plans as needed to meet objectives 
• Collaborate with cross functional stakeholders in executing strong launch plans in and out of store

​Contribute to Delivery of the Annual Operating Plan (Business Management)

• Partner closely with Sales and Sales Planning teams to align on demand drivers, retailer needs, and joint priorities that support delivery of the annual plan.
• Derive information from a variety of data sources (consumer research, competitive reviews, digital analytics, Nielsen Panel data, POS metrics) and turn them into actionable insights
• Maintain financial oversight through budget tracking, efficient spending management, and forecasting support, with a working knowledge of P&L.

Contribute to the development of strategic business plans (Strategic Brand Planning)

• Work closely with brand team to understand current business performance, evaluate key risks and opportunities and provide recommendations on how these should inform long term strategic pans
• Leverage insights and best practices from U.S. campaigns and activations, evaluating their relevance and adaptability for the Canadian market.
• Engage key counterparts cross-functionally and in different geographies to drive productivity and understand potential synergies
• Provide key analysis to inform the development of the Situation Assessment, Strategic Plan and Brand Plan

Minimum Requirements

Education: An undergraduate university degree is required, commerce degree is considered an asset

Experience: 2+ years of relevant work experience, Consumer Packaged Goods background preferred.  Benefit to have Sales/Sales Strategy experience  

Certifications:

Skills, Knowledge & Behaviours:

• Emerging leadership skills through previous work experience
• Emerging ‘Founder mentality’ i.e. passionate about the role and accountable for the outcomes
• Emerging Effective project management skills including the ability to manage conflicting priorities and cross-functional teams
• Effective interpersonal communication skills, including verbal, written and presentation
• Good understanding of brand positioning, brand equity and lifecycle management
• Effective analytical and problem-solving skills; can work independently with guidance during regular check-ins.
• Effective ability to learn quickly and flexibility to adapt to changing demands
• Emerging Effective P&L proficiency and financial acumen
• Emerging Effective  AC Nielsen/ Sales data analysis is preferred and/or
• Sales experience is an asset
• Effectively demonstrates passion and urgency, compelling communicator, proven relationship and team-builder, insight-led and data driven, fosters a fun and engaging work environment