The role:
The Assistant Brand Manager supports the planning, execution, and optimization of marketing programs to drive brand growth in the local market. You will lead insight‑driven execution across social, media, retail, and sampling, working closely with cross‑functional teams and agencies to ensure integrated, on‑brand delivery. You will serve as a central resource for performance reporting and analysis, translating complex data into clear recommendations that guide strategy, media investment, and commercial planning. You will also support budget tracking and financial planning, and helps bring innovation to life by collaborating on inputs to the BD team to successfully launch new products.
At Kao, we offer amazing benefits that are available to you on your first day of employment (healthcare, 401(k) plus company match), 36 total days off (vacation + holidays + sick) and a reasonable salary range of $90,000 - $100,000. We also offer a hybrid work schedule (Needs to be in Cincinnati area or willing to relocate to the area).
What you will do:
Marketing Planning & Execution
- Support integrated brand activation efforts (social, PR, influencer, TikTok Shop, sampling, retail, and/or paid media), in alignment to brand strategy and business objectives
- Review and guide agency-led concepts and executions, elevating work to ensure it is insight-led, on-brand, and platform-appropriate
- Partner cross-functionally with Trade Marketing, Consumer Engagement, Legal, and Media teams to ensure integrated, compliant, and effective execution
- Collaborate with other team members, providing prioritization, feedback, and context to elevate execution and impact
- Share key learnings, best practices, and insights with Business Division and other country partners to support alignment and capability building
Business Analysis
- Guide the development and ongoing evolution of performance dashboards and reporting tools to support decision-making
- Synthesize consumer, category, and competitive insights to identify opportunities, risks, and key performance drivers
- Lead insight-driven analyses and retrospectives to inform strategic planning, optimization, and prioritization
- Recommend actions to take based on data and insights
P&L, Budget and/or Financial Management
- Support P&L management by tracking marketing spend, consolidating budget inputs, monitoring variances, and flagging risks or optimization opportunities
- Partner with Finance to understand forecasts, investment trade-offs, and financial implications of brand decisions
- Contribute insight-based input into annual planning and budgeting processes
Innovation Strategy & Influence
- Support innovation plans with BD/ Global teams building from knowledge of consumer, brand and market
Leadership & Development
- Implement a learning mindset for themselves to stay current on trends, resource allocation & industry capabilities to close existing gaps & develop relevant capabilities in the future.
- Foster a positive, fact based, growth-minded, and collaborative team environment within team, department, and cross-functionally. Champion professional development and individual growth while driving performance, alignment, and engagement across the Kao organization.
What you will need:
- Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration or a related field, MBA preferred
- 5+ years of relevant CPG or marketing related experience; knowledge of and experience with beauty brands and /or categories preferred
- Strong Microsoft Office Usage (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook), Canva a plus
- Experience with Data Analytics tools such as Circana, You Scan, Scintilla, Numerator, & Retailer POS
- Creative and proven ability to collaborate, while also working independent as appropriate.
What we offer: A friendly and flexible work environment with great compensation packages, benefits package, ongoing development and the opportunity to enhance your skills and deliver tangible results. At Kao your voice will be heard. Your opinion really counts. We believe that change comes from taking opportunities into your own hands, so we value and reward thinking and new ideas.
Hiring Process: Kao embraces the diversity and the individual personalities of its people because we believe it is diversity that makes us strong. This is why we welcome applications from all areas of the global community.
Want to learn more: If you feel you are as unique as our products and want to find out why 33,000 people across the globe opted for a career with us please visit our Americas website (https://www.kao.com/americas/en/).
Kao USA is an equal opportunity employer, including disability/vets.
#LI-Hybrid
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field
- MBA
- 5+ years of relevant CPG or marketing experience
- Knowledge of and experience with beauty brands and/or categories
- Strong Microsoft Office usage (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook)
- Canva
- Experience with data analytics tools such as Circana, YouScan, Scintilla, Numerator, and Retailer POS
- Creative ability to collaborate and work independently
- Must be in Cincinnati area or willing to relocate (hybrid schedule)
What We Do
Ever since the company's founding in 1887, Kao has strived to deliver value to the life of people everywhere in the world. Today, we are a leading manufacturer in the fields of hygiene, beauty and health, while our chemical business contributes to the development of diverse industries. With more than 33,000 employees, our mission is to enrich the lives of people globally and contribute to the sustainability of the world. In the regions of Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), we focus on our Beauty Care business with premium brands in three business sectors: Consumer, Salon and Cosmetics. Our Business Sector represents skin and hair care brands that are recognized worldwide for their innovation and quality, such as Jergens, Curél, Bioré, Guhl, and John Frieda. Our Salon Business Sector is committed to unleashing the creativity of stylists around the globe. With our industry leading brands Goldwell, KMS and Oribe, stylists have everything in their hands to create beautiful show-stopping hair representative of the individuality of their clients. Our London-based boutique brand, Molton Brown, offers luxury beauty products found only in our exclusive Molton Brown stores, high-end department stores and travel retail, as well as five-star hotels around the world. All three business sectors are driven by the same values and beliefs: Creating high-quality products and constantly striving for the best is what is at the heart of everything we do. This is why we understand that our people are one of our core assets, and we strive for a working environment that allows team members to flourish and grow. Join us, and you will have opportunity to help us make life beautiful
