Senior Brand Manager

Sebastopol, CA, United States

Position: Senior Brand Manager

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Vice President of Marketing & Strategy

Location: Hybrid – Monday, Tuesday & Thursday in Sebastopol, California

Who we are:

Darey Brands is a leading manufacturer of sustainable and better-for-you specialty dairy. The company produces famed Meyenberg goat milk and butter, Redwood Hill Farm goat milk yogurts and kefirs, and Green Valley lactose-free cow milk dairy products. Darey Brands also co-manufactures premium, plant-based dairy alternatives. Products are sold nationwide at leading grocery, mass, natural, specialty, and online retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, HEB, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart, Amazon, Instacart, and more. Darey Brands is a recently created company that united two long-standing and iconic specialty dairy companies – Meyenberg and Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery. With 90 years of history in the industry, we’re one of the OGs of specialty dairy.

Darey Brands has two primary locations, in Sebastopol, CA and Turlock, CA, with approximately 120 employees across both sites. Darey Brands is wholly owned by Emmi Group. Emmi Group (EMMN) is a leading manufacturer of high-quality dairy products in Switzerland, with a strong local presence in 15 countries. Emmi Group is a public company generating over $4 billion in 2023 sales, with more than 9,000 employees and distribution in over 60 countries.

Job Overview:

The Senior Brand Manager will lead a portion of the branded portfolio within Darey Brands and report to the Vice President of Marketing and Strategy.

The Senior Brand Manager is a leader on the marketing team with a broad range of responsibilities, including the development and execution of clearly defined marketing, communications, and innovations strategies to support ambitious growth goals and business objectives for the brand. This is a highly visible position with great potential for learning and growth. The Senior Brand Manager is a member of the Darey Brands Leadership Team.

We are seeking a bold, creative, and data-driven marketer to help lead the way for our market leading brands!

· In this role, you’ll wear a lot of hats. Strategy, positioning, innovation, budget responsibility, communications and more for one of our dynamic – and growing – brands of specialty dairy. And, because we’re a mid-sized company, you’ll be positioned to be the brand owner and tasked with overseeing all facets of the business. We’ve targeted our branded portfolio to be a growth engine for our company.

· We’re a lean marketing team of five, passionate about breakthrough positioning and communications to grow our brands. To do so, we combine classical marketing processes and tactics with out-of-the-box thinking to create authentic storytelling experiences for our consumers and customers.

· Darey Brands is part of the Emmi Group, and with sister companies in the U.S. and across the globe, you’ll have networking opportunities with a creative and talented network of experienced marketers across four continents.

· We work in a recently renovated space at our production facility in Sebastopol, with a hybrid weekly schedule of three days in the office and two work-from-home.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Brand strategy, planning, execution

· Develop annual integrated marketing plan and calendar and execute with excellence to deliver sales, financial and brand targets.

· As the brand leader, participate in long-term strategic planning processes to shape the future of the brand in the Darey Brands portfolio.

· Review and analyze market and sales data to identify promotional, communications and innovation opportunities.

Brand stewardship

· Serve as a brand champion and brand guardian. Develop and refine the brand positioning and architecture.

· Monitor brand performance using internal metrics (e.g., net sales, P&L) and external metrics (ego, scan data) and recommend actions to course correct as needed.

Marketing budget management

· Recommend marketing investment levels and adjust as required to ensure budget is well controlled.

· Evaluate marketing mix and programs to understand return on investment.

Communications & community

· Work with internal and external agency partners to develop annual integrated communications strategies and activate them across the media mix.

· With support from agencies, generate content to effectively convey the brand story.

· Engage with our growing consumer base via all channels and create networks of influencers to expand the community of engaged followers.

· Collaborate with Sales to drive messaging and selling stories with retailers and at trade shows, conferences, and events; identify and execute retailer and shopper marketing programs.

Insights & Innovation

· Provide project management for new product development, working cross-functionally to drive all activities from idea to commercialization.

· Recommend ad hoc and ongoing market research activities to uncover, validate and leverage consumer insights. Identify new marketplace and consumer trends and recommend actions.

Organizational development

· Provide work direction and guidance to marketing team members.

· Nurture a collaborative and consumer-oriented culture within and across departments.

· Be a visible leader of the brand and the consumer, helping the culture to become more brand driven and consumer centric.

Required Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):

· Track record of success leading consumer packaged goods brands. The ideal candidate will have classic brand management experience at a large company coupled with success at a smaller company or leading a smaller brand.

· “Player / Coach” mentality – able to execute with excellence and lead with vision.

· Strong strategic skills with experience in brand management fundamentals and innovation.

· Strong data analysis expertise to present and leverage data-driven insights.

· Excellent project management skills that have resulted in an ability to drive projects and teams forward by working collaboratively across other functions.

· Team player able to work effectively across functions and levels – low ego / high output.

· Strong initiative – acts before asked; has a strong sense of ownership.

Minimum Qualifications:

· BA in Marketing, Business Administration, or equivalent professional work experience. MBA a plus.

· 3-5 years of experience in marketing and communications, ideally in the CPG and/or food industry. At least 3 years of brand management experience required .

· Experience in digital marketing, including success in digital channels (Ecomm, Meta, TikTok).

· Experience in project management, new product development, and commercialization.

· Experience with external agencies to develop outstanding communications and creative.

Physical Requirements:

· Primary work activities are within an office environment.

· Ability to perform tasks requiring bending, stooping, standing, and twisting in an office environment.

· Occasional air travel within the U.S.

Darey Brands’ Core Values:

1. PUT PEOPLE FIRST: We respect everyone and celebrate diversity and inclusion, learning from each other and inspiring personal growth.

2. OBSESS OVER QUALITY: We recognize that great taste and positive experiences drive sales. We continually innovate to delight our consumers and customers.

3. DO WHAT IT TAKES: We collaborate and embrace challenges with passion and a solution-oriented mindset. We communicate honestly and transparently, building trust and having fun.

4. HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE: We strive to create balance of people, planet, and profit by respectfully caring about our team, community, and the environment.

Employee Benefits & Perks:

· Competitive pay.

· Very competitive health, vision, dental, and supplemental benefit packages.

· Generous PTO and Paid Holidays.

· Employer 401(k) matching program.

· Opportunities for professional development and training.

· Generous amount of free product for employees.

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