MPB Careers: Staples – Senior Manager, Own Brand Management

Function: Merchandising/Buying
Location: United States-Massachusetts Framingham, MA US
Date posted: 11/4/2020 2:06:37 AM
Type: Full-time
Permanent / Contract: Regular
Job number: 1141858

The safety and security of our associates and applicants are our top priorities as we navigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on our work and personal lives. Consistent with public health guidance, we are promoting social distancing, and following all recommended precautions in our buildings to keep our employees and visitors healthy including increased cleaning protocols, available masks sanitizer and wipes, and guidelines to limit capacity in common areas at all our locations.

Description

Do you want to create new brands and new products from scratch?   Do you want to invent and think big to take an idea from concept to reality for customers?  Are you an expert in or passionate about products that boost productivity and help businesses grow?  The Staples Own Brand team is powering the greatest assortment transformation in our company’s history and we need your energy and enthusiasm to change the way the world works.  We are a $4B consumer products company within Staples Inc, and we’re working on the tools and fuel for the new 21st-century workplace.

Position Summary:

As the Senior Manager, Brand Management you are at the intersection of marketing and new product development and are responsible for connecting the customer and product experience.  You will work with business teams to research our customers, shape opportunities, and deliver a product brand experience they cannot get anywhere else. You will manage internal and external design resources to deliver new packaging and product experiences.  As part of our line review process, you partner with product design to create workshops that deliver innovative customer-centric new product offerings.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Brand Management
  • Support the brand architecture and maintain brand standards for assigned brands
  • Monitor the health of brands in order to improve performance and positioning
  • Support the creative briefing process for all design projects (including new brands developed during the architecture project), ensure that design deliverables meet the requirements and objectives of each creative brief
  • Manage all creative requests related to the product packaging and marketing, attending reviews to ensure creative remains on-brand
  • Ensure creative work [product, package, marketing] reflects the design principle and effectively aligns with the brand personality
  • Coordinate with marketing to ensure all the touchpoints for brands are aligned into a single cohesive customer experience
  • Explore opportunities for better connections with the customer through the product experience

• Innovation
  • Own the innovation process delivering a continuous flow of new products backed by customer insights that drive customer loyalty and EBITDA.
  • Coordinate workshop-based activities with internal businesses/teams as well as directly with customers to best leverage design-thinking approaches
  • Support the creation of tailored propositions aligned to the repositioning of the company in the solutions space, leading to long term strategic partnerships with key vendors
  • Partner with business leaders to drive innovation programs by gaining an understanding of their business and aligning on opportunities
  • Strong facilitation skills, comfortable in a consulting environment with exec-level participants
  • Experience working on Product/Market Fit and Growth Strategies

• Customer Insights
  • Uncover and share out consumer insights to drive actionable conclusions and recommendations relative to product planning, positioning, story development, claims, communication
  • Assess and drive cross-functional understanding of the category, competitive, and consumer landscape using both first-party and secondary data sources.
  • Point of contact for product-focused insights ensuring foundational data is available to business teams and exploratory research is prioritized
  • Coordinate with design to identify trends that will influence brand evolution
  • Manage the customer insights program including budget and on-going pipeline of research projects
  • Expand our ability to connect with customers using new methods and tools.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Have a passion for brands, customer empathy, and excitement about new products
• Creative storyteller with a knack for bringing ideas to life
• Build relationships, appropriately influence relevant internal teams, and direct business partners to achieve short- and long-term goals
• Manage concurrent project timelines and demonstrate good decision making under pressure
• Proven ability to adapt to change in a dynamic fast-paced environment
• Comfort level presenting to, directly communicating with, and being challenged by senior leadership
• Experience developing scopes, SOW’s and defining consulting engagements
• Able to work independently with little direct supervision
• Embraces change and able to drive action in the face of ambiguity
• Excellent decision making and problem-solving skills
• Strong analytical and financial skills
• Minimum 8 years creating products and brands
• Minimum 2 years managing a product brand
• Experience managing to budget
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or other relevant degree
• Fluency with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Travel 20%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Seasoned brand manager with experience developing and managing multiple multimillion-dollar brands
• Expert at communicating to creative teams and providing feedback that produces a great design
• Master’s degree in business, marketing, or other relevant degree

Staples is The Worklife Fulfillment Company, helping businesses of all sizes be more productive, connected, and inspired. With dedicated account teams, category professionals, innovative brands and a curated product assortment for business, Staples provides customized solutions to help organizations achieve their goals. Interested in joining the team? Check out our perks and benefits!

Staples is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

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