Senior Brand Manager, Whiskey

Position Summary: As Senior Brand Manager, this person would be responsible for leading the strategic brand plan development, shopper marketing programs, and brand innovation for several Whiskey brands including Chivas Regal, Redbreast, and other High-end Irish Whiskey brands.

The SBM will be responsible for leading key projects to help revitalize Chivas Regal, drive the growth of Redbreast, and build the High-end Irish Whiskey category.   

This role requires a dynamic and experienced brand leader who has a strong consumer marketing, analytical, shopper marketing, and innovation background and can balance thinking strategically with the key execution priorities on the business including but not limited to the following:

• Partnering with the agencies to drive the communication strategy and vision, for retail programs, and helping to develop platforms/executions that maximize business results
• Providing support for future pipeline development; leading innovation to ensure proper insights, ideation, positioning and subsequent handoff to engagement team for asset development
• Leading cross-functional teams that may include Sales, Consumer Insights, Finance, Events, and PR to develop and manage marketing objectives, goals and strategies
• Planning and directing performance of Brand Manager, assist in goal setting, provide development opportunities and performance feedback, address issues and resolve problems, and coach and develop junior team members.
• Leading the commercialization, project management, and in-market execution of innovation launches including partnering with field sales to plan and execute launch programs 

Major Responsibilities / Accountabilities:

• Innovation pipeline – lead development of Chivas and Redbreast innovation pipeline in conjunction with global team at Chivas Brothers and Irish Distillers to develop and deliver cutting edge innovation
• Strategic Planning: Own and deliver the annual strategic planning process. Lead the development of breakthrough consumer-centric programs and shopper marketing activations/tools.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Develop, deliver, and iterate plans continuously with a resourceful, obsessive, and fearless mindset with a focus on proving the case for brand expansion or incremental resources.
• Agile: Results-orientation and ability to operate with agility to run with test and learn approach.
• Collaboration & Integration: Lead a cross functional and agency working team, which includes but is not limited to the global brand owners, agencies, field marketing, sales, consumer insights, and other business departments fostering and building a strong multi-functional team. Collaboration, alignment, and influence with multiple stakeholders is a key to success.
• Analysis and Reporting: Lead the analysis and reporting of market and competitor trends to identify salient business issues/opportunities, working with divisional sales/marketing teams as necessary.
• Research: Perform analysis/construct research programs and derive implications to ensure marketing programs/expenditures meet KPIs. Consistently seek to improve the existing programming.
• Competitive Analysis and Implications: Assist with the development of the Strategic Brand Review by analyzing category opportunities, identifying key consumer targets, leveraging channel specific shopper insights/retailer challenges, innovation opportunities, and activation strategies.
• Training and People Development: Manage direct reports and train and develop them into strong brand experts and leaders.                                                                                                                                                          

Nature & Scope: Position typically works with members of the central marketing department, divisional marketing, sales management, agency services agency personnel, as well as various vendor and provider representatives. Communication can include sensitive information requiring complete confidentiality and discretion in dealings with contacts. Incumbent plans activities for this position monthly with individual initiative in daily routine. Decisions impact the group and organization as a whole, and errors can cause significant expense to the entire organization.