Brand Manager, Retail

About Sara Lee Frozen Bakery

Sara Lee desserts have always stood for incredible flavor and superior value in the frozen food aisle and away from home markets. The Sara Lee Frozen Bakery collection of top brands includes Sara Lee, Chef Pierre, Van's, Bistro Collection, Superior on Main and Cyrus O'Leary's.

Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is proud to take these iconic brands into a new era and to continue the evolution that transformed one small Chicago bakery into an American institution. Using carefully sourced ingredients and time-honored recipes, the company is committed to making life's moments a little sweeter, putting its customers first and discovering new ways to make everyone's favorite foods even better.

Working for Sara Lee

Our vision is to be the world's most beloved bakery by creating irresistible foods, growing with our customers, and delivering value for all. We will achieve success through collaboration and innovation in an environment where employees feel empowered to execute with speed. We believe that each of us has unique points of difference and experience to offer. We believe that there is always a better way, and we will never be satisfied with status quo. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, continually seek process improvements and a strong sense of customer service, then this is the right type of environment for you.

Summary

The Brand Manager for Sara Lee Frozen Bakery plays a role in helping us become the world's most beloved bakery by managing the business and brand-building activities for our heritage namesake Retail dessert brand and Van's portfolio. This role has responsibility for managing the P&L and budget to ensure we meet our annual plan and long-range objectives in the frozen sweet goods retail portfolio. This role develops long and short-term strategies, marketing plans, new products, packaging, advertising, and sales promotion programs that will achieve corporate profit, volume, and share objectives. This role also engages with the cross functional team in the execution of strategic initiatives and directs the activities of 3rd party agencies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the marketing objectives, strategies, and the long range and annual plans for assigned categories reflecting overall corporate goals
• Manages budget, marketing, and promotional spending for assigned product responsibility
• Monitor performance measurements to ensure sales volume, share and profit objectives are accomplished. Recommends and implements corrective actions
• Act as liaison with cross functional team members to ensure business initiatives receive necessary focus
• Creatively identify opportunity areas for growth by effectively using consumption data, market research and competitive intelligence
• Develop meaningful consumer positioning for all assigned product lines that creates added value versus competitive and effectively communicate product advantages to consumers
• Develop brand strategies that create consumer, customer, shopper engagement and loyalty
• Manage the development and introduction of new products in cooperation with Insights & Innovation team to provide a full line of differentiated products, each meeting target consumer needs and offering the highest competitive value
• Work hand-in-hand with the sales organization to ensure corporate objectives are met and that our strategies and programs are effectively implemented
• Direct advertising agencies and other suppliers in the development and implementation of marketing strategies and programs, gaining maximum value from marketing and promotional expenditures

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required. MBA/Advanced degree strongly preferred
• A minimum of 3 years CPG brand management experience is required
• Demonstrated understanding and application of consumer insights is required
• In-depth understanding of P&L is required
• Demonstrated strength in strategic thinking with a consumer lens is required
• Strong communication skills (exceptional listening skills, persuasive and professional communicator) are required
• Proven track record in managing and meeting volume and profit targets through creative marketing of existing lines is required
• Experience commercializing innovation/renovation projects, developing marketing support plans, and familiarity with customer/shopper marketing is strongly desired

Sara Lee Frozen Bakery provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.