Brand Manager- Farm, Ranch, Pet

About Us: 

Mid-States Distributing is the leading Farm, Ranch, and Home Retail Organization. Our 71+ year old company is owned by 29 independent Farm, Ranch & Home retailers (“Members”) who operate approximately 700 stores across the US and Canada with combined annual sales in excess of 7.5 billion dollars.  Our member/owners retail items such as agriculture parts & supplies, petroleum products, hardware & tools, pet food, lawn & garden, animal health supplies, apparel & footwear, sporting goods, and various other products for the Farm, Ranch, and Home.

We are looking for enthusiastic people who like to win!  We place a tremendous amount of emphasis on creating a dynamic and positive company culture.  Most of our employees will tell you that Mid-States is the best place they’ve ever worked.  We value high-energy people with positive mental attitudes who believe in the concept of “serving to wow”!  Our consumers are primarily rural people raising kids, pets, cows, and crops so traditional values like God, family, and patriotism are important virtues.  So, if you are enthusiastic, competitive, have a great attitude, have excellent written and verbal communication skills, like to build strong relationships, like to win, and refuse to eat meat grown in a lab – Mid-States may be the place for you!  If you are not, please apply with our competitors!  

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Brand Manager for Farm, Ranch, and Pet will lead marketing strategy and execution for a portfolio of high-impact brands serving pet owners, working farms, and ranches. The successful candidate will understand the products and consumers while also knowing how to build brand through modern retail digital marketing. Brands represented include Wildology, Country Companion, Heartland Harvest, Sidekick, Main Street Pet, and more.

This role is responsible for translating category strategy into cohesive brand programs that drive sell-through at retail, support member marketing efforts, and build long-term brand equity. You will work closely with category management, merchandising, suppliers, and the internal marketing team to bring programs to life across packaging, in-store merchandising, digital content, and paid media.

The ideal candidate combines meaningful professional marketing experience with hands-on category knowledge in pet food, pet care, animal nutrition, feed, animal health, farm & ranch, or a closely related consumer products category. Pet food or pet care marketing experience is strongly preferred. You understand how these consumers shop, learn, and make decisions, and you are equally comfortable with brand strategy, packaging, product launches, digital marketing, content, paid media, and retail activation. Candidates whose experience is primarily in sales, retail operations, farm management, merchandising, or category management without meaningful marketing responsibility will not meet the requirements for this position.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Brand Strategy & Positioning 

• Champion brand positioning, messaging, and tone across farm, ranch, and pet categories.
• Lead annual brand planning and promotional calendars aligned to category priorities and seasonal demand.
• Translate category strategy into actionable brand plans, creative briefs, and content direction.
   

Campaign Planning and Execution:

• Lead integrated campaigns supporting new products, seasonal programs, and key retail initiatives.
• Manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables across packaging, digital, social, paid media, and in-store assets.
• Partner with creative, digital, and web teams to develop product storytelling, educational content, and campaign assets.
• Oversee packaging updates, point-of-purchase materials, and merchandising programs in coordination with category teams and vendors.
   
• Retail and Performance Marketing Integration:
• Partner with category management and member retailers to improve brand visibility and performance across 700+ store locations.
• Develop educational content that supports informed purchasing decisions in animal health, feed, nutrition, and pet care categories.
• Align digital campaigns and website content with in-store programs to create consistent brand experiences.
• Review performance data and campaign results, identifying opportunities to improve effectiveness and ROI.

Project and Team Collaboration:

• Serve as the daily bridge between marketing, category management, and merchandising.
• Manage tasks, workflows, and approvals through Monday.com.
• Present brand performance, campaign outcomes, and recommendations to internal stakeholders and leadership.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

• 5 to 7 years of professional brand marketing experience, including meaningful experience within pet food, pet care, animal nutrition, feed, animal health, farm & ranch, or a closely related consumer products category. Candidates must demonstrate both marketing expertise and relevant category knowledge.

Pet food or pet care marketing experience is strongly preferred. Candidates with experience developing and marketing pet food or pet care brands, including positioning, packaging, product launches, consumer education, digital marketing, and retail activation, will receive priority consideration.

• Demonstrated success leading multi-channel campaigns that drive measurable retail performance.
• Strong understanding of consumers in pet, animal nutrition, agricultural, and farm & ranch categories, with the ability to translate category knowledge into effective brand and marketing programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex product information into clear, useful messaging.
• Proven ability to manage multiple brands and initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience using Monday.com or similar project management platforms.
• Hands-on experience with Shopify, email platforms, Meta Ads Manager, and GA4.
• Comfort using AI tools to support research, data analysis, content development, and project execution.
   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience marketing pet food, pet care, animal nutrition, animal health, feed, or other education-driven consumer brands; private-label brand experience is a plus.
• Background working closely with category managers or product development teams.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to connect marketing activity to retail results.
• Experience supporting both in-store retail programs and digital brand execution.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Generally, the job requires 80% sitting, 10% walking, and 10% standing. This job is performed in a generally clean environment. The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping and significant fine finger dexterity.

TRAVEL:

There is minimal travel required for this position. 

OTHER DUTIES:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

A few words from our COO:

I have had the pleasure to work for some incredible companies during my career, but Mid-States is truly the best company I have ever worked for.  Lead by our dynamic CEO, Tom Mahlke, our team strives to provide a unique, exciting, fun, and fulfilling work environment for our staff.  Things like drama, laziness, and entitlement have no place in Mid-States, which makes Mid-States a refreshing place to work.  We offer competitive salaries, have a fantastic benefits package, and believe in rewarding those who produce.  We serve a wonderful industry, and we are financially sound and growing rapidly.  If you are an enthusiastic, high-energy person with a positive attitude and the skills described above, you may have just found the last job you will ever apply for!  I look forward to meeting you. – Jeff Rash, COO