Brand Manager, NA - Knob Creek & Emerging Brands

What makes this a great opportunity?

The spirits industry is an exciting, dynamic, and fast-paced business. Beam Suntory is a top player in the spirits business and focused on driving both category and brand growth.

This role will manage critical small batch brands for the US: Knob Creek (including engagement with the single barrel teams), Booker’s, Baker’s, Little Book, Old Overholt, as well as new brands such as Hardin’s Creek and more.

This is an opportunity for you to work on one of the fastest growing categories in spirits – to set and implement national brand strategy and marketing plans in conjunction with cross-functional teams (Sales, Commercial Marketing, Finance, Consumer Insights, etc.)

This role is based out of any of our U.S. core offices (New York City, LA, Louisville, Miami, Chicago, or Dallas).

Role Responsibilities:

Lead all brand planning processes:

• Development of three-year Strat Plan
• Development of three-year Growth Plans
• Development of one-year Annual Operating Plan
• Media and digital planning in concert with NA Media team

Lead development of national brand programs, portfolio planning guides, and toolkits, partnering with Commercial Marketing and key creative agencies

Work with Cultural Connections team to drive impactful multicultural program extensions as applicable

Manage strategic brand initiatives:

• Manage key 2023 liquid / packaging transitions
• Cultivation of emerging brands, including customized launch programs and new growth strategies

Lead commercialization of innovation and related launch programming

Lead in-year business tracking, reporting, and optimization

• Manage short-term supply and demand risks and opportunities as S&OE lead
• Work with Analytics team to monitor and report on consumption, laddering results up to action plans to address risks and opportunities
• Partnering closely with RBMs in each region to layer in local insights and drive local action
• Develop robust, rolling in-year contingency plans
• Work with NA Finance and RGM to track and support pricing execution
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews
• Work with cross-functional teams on other in-year program optimization, e.g., Media, PR, Commercial Marketing

Serve as “first point of contact” for the Global Brand House Brand Managers as well as GBU resources aligned to Knob Creek and emerging brands

Manage brand budgets

Qualifications & Experience:

• 3-5 years consumer marketing experience 
• MBA preferred 
• Proven ability to execute flawlessly on brand/marketing projects that align with overall brand strategy 
• Self-starter with an ability to deal with ambiguity in a relatively new strategic role within the organization 
• Demonstrated experience in working across and up, within the organization, gaining credibility amongst peers, managers and other commercial leadership 
• Proven ability to analyze and diagnosis brand and market performance 
• Experience working in or with commercial sales or field marketing is a plus 
• Multicultural marketing experience is a plus 
• Experience with beverage alcohol industry and/or three-tiered distribution system a plus (soft drinks, beer, and other wholesale-distributed products) 
• Flawless communication skills in writing, meetings, and presentations 
• Demonstrated personal characteristics to be brand evangelist to local teams