Kroger – Our Brands Brand Manager

Company Name: Kroger General Office
Position Type: Employee
FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary:

Champion assigned brands and work to develop and drive brand preference with our customers. Act as an advocate for the customer to ensure all brand/marketing activities are customer-driven. Lead strategic thinking, brand-building and translation of the brand strategy across packaging, marketing, and merchandising tactics. Partner with cross-functional teams in directing the development of our long-term portfolio strategies for key categories. Demonstrate opportunities for category and corporate brand growth and drive product innovation. Manage the execution of initiatives within the Corporate Brands (CB) marketing plan. Communicate our CB vision and goals as well as how they align with overall category merchandiser strategies and the Customer 1st promise. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Essential Job Functions:

• Act as the primary brand ambassador by authoring/influencing brand equities, steering brands through their stages, developing long-term brand plans and managing brand translations with external parties.
• Articulate respective brand plans, category role(s) and new product development plans.
• Drive brand growth by applying knowledge of the competitive set, consumer trends and business needs.
• Lead the execution of marketing, advertising and promotional tactics.
• Act as a primary liaison with marketing services to ensure all activities align with brand equities.
• Fiscally manage marketing budgets and branding resources.
• Support commercialization of projects as identified within business plans.
• Provide guidance on vendor selection, product segmentation, and sales planning.
• Remain current with food, cultural and ethnic, category and product trends.
• Actively participate in the sensory phase of product development, as well as influence reformulations, packaging, sourcing, and specification changes.
• Monitor/optimize retail execution, conduct post-launch analysis against brand initiatives and make recommendations.
• Travel to divisions and store locations to support CB initiatives.
• Follow established programs, policies and practices to produce safe, quality foods that meet regulatory and company requirements.
• Support the development, implementation, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of the SQF 2000 Systems.
• Accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Principles.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Minimum Position Qualifications/Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or a related field or comparable work experience
• Consumer packaged goods, retailer or manufacturer experience
• Brand building, marketing and brand management expertise
• Consumer targeting and equity development exposure
• Excellent leadership/collaboration skills
• Proven ability to make critical decisions
• Strong business analytical skills, including sales, volume and profit forecasts
• Proven ability to communicate to all levels of the organization
• Ability to manage a complex and/or large portfolio of brands with little supervision (pay level 11)

Desired Previous Job Experience/Education:

• Master’s degree with 4+ years in retail, consumer packaged goods, sales or innovation industry
• Orchestration of commercialization plans for new product development pipelines
• Demonstrated success in project management
• Fast-tracked position in Corporate Brands/Brand Management

Education Level: Bachelor’s Required
Required Travel: Up to 25%
Required Certifications/Licenses: None
Position Type: Full-Time
Regions: General Office- Cincinnati; Any; Mid-Atlantic; Midwest; Mountain; South; West

Jobs at Kroger: At Kroger, we hire people who have a passion for helping others and who want to build a relationship with our Customers. No matter what stage of your career, you can build your future at Kroger. We look for people who want more, aspire to be more and work hard to achieve their goals. Our focus on keeping the Customer first is what makes us successful. As the largest traditional grocery chain in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest retailers, we employee more nearly half a million Associates across 35 states. We offer many opportunities not only in our stores, but in Manufacturing, Logistics, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and many other fields.

Company Overview: Kroger Family of Companies employs nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names.  At The Kroger Co., we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®.  We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.  Careers with The Kroger Co. and our family of companies offer competitive wages, flexible schedules, benefits and room for advancement.

Nearest Major Market: Cincinnati

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