Founded in a small town in Alberta, Canada, Champion Petfoods started as a feed mill and has evolved to become a leading international premium pet food manufacturer under the ORIJEN and ACANA brands. The Company is an award-winning pet food maker that proudly makes the world’s best pet food, with a reputation of trust spanning more than 25 years. Today Champion is distributed primarily through the pet specialty channel and exports to more than 85 countries around the world. The Company’s vision is to be “trusted by pet lovers everywhere”. It is among a small number of pet food companies with a global platform with state-of the art kitchens in Kentucky and Alberta. Today Champion is effectively a start-up with the scale of a large company. It offers the “best of small” (i.e. entrepreneurial, real accountability and ownership, challenger brand mindset, innovative, fast-moving) and “best of big” (i.e. leadership talent, access to capital, and strategic capability).
Champion makes Biologically Appropriate™ dog and cat foods from fresh regional ingredients and makes them from start to finish in its very own custom-built and award-winning kitchens. Champion’s mission represents a new standard in pet food, designed to nourish cats and dogs in two ways. First, according to their natural evolution to a meat and protein-rich diet. Second, by using meats, poultry, eggs and fish that are sustainably ranched, farmed or fished by local suppliers and delivered to Champion’s kitchens each day. Our ORIJEN and ACANA brands feature unmatched inclusions of fresh regional ingredients.
Summary
Champion Petfoods, makers of ORIJEN and ACANA premium awarded pet foods is looking for an innovative leader to build brand strategy, management and development of our ACANA and ORJEN brands (2 brand managers in total). In these newly created roles, the Brand Managers will be responsible for leading and developing brand strategy, innovation and marketing initiatives. Reporting to the VP, Marketing, you will work cross-functionally to create and implement strategies that make our brands a local and global powerhouse.
Responsibilities
- Lead the brand strategy, management, and development of ACANA or ORIJEN brands in the US market with support and guidance to global enterprise
- Manage development and execution of yearly marketing plan for the brand
- Develop close-in innovation (market gaps) for brand together with R&I team (Research & Innovation)
- Contribute to development and implementation of growth brand strategy ensuring flawless execution of consumer driven initiatives (media, digital, all other consumer experience materials)
- Translate US market trends and consumer insights to sustain a highly competitive product portfolio and compelling value proposition.
- Lead and bring to life key marketing materials and initiatives across consumer touchpoints to ensure brand growth in line or ahead of plan
- Partner with Finance to provide relevant information for costing and pricing purposes to deliver sales and profit targets.
- Establish a working knowledge of the pet food industry regulation and ensure all aspect are taken in account during the scoping and validation of new and improved products.
- Identify new business opportunities through primary and secondary market research and partner with Business Development in the evaluation of new business segments and opportunities.
- Lead creative team in the packaging design of new products.
- Responsible for the P&L for the product and will be accountable for delivering profitable business growth within the category and achieving company objectives.
- Project management leadership to push projects over the finish line with sound planning and alignment of resources toward common outcome; on time and on budget.
- Be a role model of Champion’s culture and core values of teamwork, responsibility, authenticity, innovation and leadership
Requirements
- Minimum of 6 to 8 years of product and/or brand management experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business or a related field is required; Master of Business Administration preferred
- Extremely collaborative, ability to develop and leverage relationships with stakeholders
- Proven track record of generating new or unique solutions and embracing new ideas
- Extensive project management skills and cross-functional leadership
- Strong analytical, strategic planning and financial skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and presentation skills
- Eagerness to stay up to date on the latest brand trends in the US and globally, especially in the pet world
- Great attention to detail, enthusiasm, curiosity, organization, multi-tasking and desire to be a team player
- Pet owner preferred
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