Portfolio Lead, IAMS/Premium- Pet Nutrition (Canada)

What are we looking for?

• University degree required (preferably in Business/Marketing/Brand Management)
• MBA preferred
• Solid experience in brand marketing in international FMCG companies (minimum 5 years), cross-functional demand experience an asset
• Excellent analytical, presentation and communication skills
• Experience managing several different and complex projects at the same time
• Experience with Nielsen data an asset
• Ability to identify and understand P and L, and identify key financial business levers
• Experience leading people and teams
• Fluent in English

What will be your key responsibilities?

One-Demand Leadership:

• Lead cross functional Integrated Growth Platform (IGP)
• Drive functional alignment of growth plans across Marketing, Customer Excellence and Strategic Revenue Management
• Develop and champion Integrated Growth Plan leveraging key demand levers: pricing, promotion, distribution, assortment, PPA and innovation.

Brand Management:

• Responsible for the development and deployment of brand/portfolio strategies that accelerate growth of the portfolio to deliver on short and long-term corporate goals. 
• Responsible for the co-ordination and development of long-term strategic plans and in-year brand plans. This requires analysis of general market, consumer research, competitive trends and development of objectives and strategies for all key functional areas of the business (product, pricing, availability, media, communications, and tactical promotions). 
• Development and execution of consumer communication plans, including developing or adapting advertising as appropriate in partnership with the global team, and driving the convergence of creative and media, across paid, earned, shared and owned
• Evaluate performance of executed programs and communication campaigns to ascertain their effectiveness for continuous improvement.

Financial Management:

• Responsible for managing brand P&Ls to deliver topline and profit targets, focusing on quality growth with a category growth mindset.
• Representing the portfolio and brands through the S&OP+ process (portfolio management reviews).
• Lead cross-functional team through category analysis, planning, portfolio review, risks and opportunities, as well as escalating critical decisions.
• Manages fiscal budgets within guidelines set by Senior Management including Packaging, Advertising and Consumer Promotion.  Influences all areas of the P&L.
• Continuously work towards improving product margins, both locally and in partnership with regional and global partners, through the identification of opportunities, both cost savings and business opportunities, from concept development to final product.

Innovation:

• Lead the project management for product initiatives, including cross-functional leadership.
• Lead the development and execution of strategies related to new product launches within the portfolio. This includes identifying and/or validating winning propositions, and the development of executional and launch strategies within the Canadian Market.
• Lead relationships with Mars global and regional counterparts to best leverage global innovations, plans and expertise, and to share Canadian best practices.
• Continually liaises with regional and global teams to identify long term business building opportunities and ensures that every aspect of local marketing is consistent with Global frameworks.

Consumer & Category Insights:

• Partner with CMI and Category Leadership to command a superior consumer & category understanding in developing key consumer insights and category growth drivers that will lead to strategy development.

Long-Term Planning:

• Prepare Long Term strategic plans for the portfolio in collaboration with cross-functional team (Category & Consumer Insights, Sales Strategy, Strategic Revenue Management, Finance, Digital COE).
• Identify gaps & opportunities to grow the category, escalate decisions as required.     

Retail Strategy:

• Present at key Sales Meetings to rally the selling organization behind the vision and strategy.
• Co-champion development of key merchandising tools and integrated priorities.

People Leadership:

• Build a team of high performing business leaders, with a one-demand mindset
• Build culture, team engagement and passion for our brands!

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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