Strategic Brand Lead

The position is based in Cologne, Germany and you will report to the Head of Brand Management and assume the functional leadership for two Brand Managers. You will closely collaborate with the local operations and commercial team and international brand team, acting as a true team player. The Strategic Brand Lead will exhibit a general manager mindset and will be responsible for leading key projects that will aim to achieve two critical goals; build brand equity and drive brand performance through long term profitable growth. These are your tasks- You own the Brand Management for Absolut Vodka, Malibu and Kahlúa- You lead and develop the annual brand strategy & roadmap against key portfolio initiatives, manage brand P&L, manage Advertising & Promotion budget for the brand, and adhere to clear KPIs, ensuring marketing spend efficiency- You are responsible for the development, implementation & evaluation of breakthrough brand content and activities for the German market, including media campaigns, experience, and cooperations- You actively support the Collaborative Business Planning Operating Model (Rolling Forecast, S&OP) by aligning marketing activities with forecast, future plans, and volumes for new products, outlining expected brand growth, defining risk and opportunities- You are responsible for positioning and further development of the product portfolio in cooperation with the Head of Brand Management, Brand Owner and Local Innovation Manager. You lead the execution of product launches/relaunches for the German market- You lead and manage agencies, external partners, and cross-functional teams, coordinating projects with all relevant stakeholders- You will functionally lead a team of 2 and be responsible for talent coaching and development- You leverage excellent presentation and story-telling skills, passion, and energy to be the primary advocate for the brand internally (e.g., management presentations, sales meetings, etc.) and externally (e.g., PR events, etc.)- You lead the analysis and reporting of consumer, market, and competitor trends to identify salient business issues/opportunities This is your profile- You have 5-6+ years of business experience in Brand-/Product-Management/Marketing within the FMCG industry- You hold a university degree in economics with a focus on marketing/brand management or a similar apprenticeship- You are a highly motivated self-starter with strong leadership, analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively across functions with passion and enthusiasm- You possess strong executive and cross-functional communication skills, both in writing strategic & selling decks as well as strong presentation skills- You have strong experience in developing brand strategies grounded in insights and analytics- You have first-hand experience in people management- You have previous experience in innovation work and successfully launching new products from A to Z- You have experience managing financials and business performance, including budget management- You are results-oriented and have the ability to operate with agility- You have strong conceptual skills and a great creative mindset with a good eye for details- You are fluent in spoken & written German & English And this is what we offer- Smart Working: Unleash your full potential by working where you and your team are most productive We offer the opportunity to work flexibly and remotely, but we also value regular presence in the office to foster collaboration and strengthen team spirit. You can expect a modern office in the heart of Cologne with a fresh fruit basket, coffee, water and nice colleagues- Our motto "Convivialité" is not only communicated externally but also lived internally: we have flat hierarchies, a "Duz" culture and we regularly invite you to company events to celebrate our successes together- Are you into sports? We offer you an Urban Sports Club membership and a leasing offer from Jobrad- You have all bridge days off, in addition to your regular annual leave (30 days)- We provide you with individual development opportunities, tailored to your interests and talents (e.g. through workshops, language courses and online courses)- In addition to discounts on our products, you will find many other discounts through our Corporate Benefits Portal- We support you with a 20% subsidy for your company pension plan- Last but not least: You don't live in Cologne (or within reach)? No problem. We'll cover your relocation costs if it's necessary for the job. Job Posting End Date: Target Hire Date: 2025-02-01 Target End Date: