Job Description:
As a Brand Manager – Gum at Mars Snacking, you will be the brand and portfolio custodian driving our Gum strategy and marketing execution across Middle East and Africa (MEA), with a dedicated focus on iconic priority brands like Orbit and Juicy Fruit. Acting as a strategic brand lead, you will shape portfolio growth, steer full-funnel innovation from inception to launch alongside our Nairobi manufacturing hub, and deliver high-impact, culturally resonant consumer campaigns that drive household penetration and market share.
What are we looking for?Experience & Industry Background: At least 3 to 4 years of proven brand management experience, ideally within a multinational Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (CPG/FMCG) environment.
Regional Market Insight: In-depth commercial experience across the African continent, with broader Middle East and Africa exposure considered a strong plus.
Innovation & Analytical Acumen: Demonstrated hands-on track record of delivering end-to-end innovation pipelines—grounded in shopper insights, consumer data, and sound financial metrics.
Education & Communication: A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (Master’s degree is advantageous), with full professional fluency in both English and Swahili.
Collaborative Leadership: A results-oriented professional with strong storytelling ability and agency steering capabilities, adept at leading cross-functional teams across complex matrix organizations.
Brand Strategy & Portfolio Growth: Lead short- and long-term brand strategy for our Gum portfolio, analyzing market share, category dynamics, and whitespace opportunities to accelerate business growth.
End-to-End Innovation Pipeline: Shape and deliver an agile 3-year innovation pipeline, balancing breakthrough local innovation from our Nairobi plant with European launches tailored to regional consumer palates.
Culturally Resonant Marketing & Comms: Develop powerful, omnichannel brand campaigns and media plans in close collaboration with agency partners and content teams to ensure top-tier ROI and brand love.
Integrated Business Planning & Pricing: Partner closely with Strategic Revenue Management (SRM) on price/pack architecture, and lead cross-functional activity teams to ensure flawless on-ground launch execution and post-launch reviews.
Global & Regional Alignment: Serve as the key link with regional MEA and Global Gum teams, ensuring brand guidelines, marketing codes, and communication pipelines are seamlessly integrated.
Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.
Skills Required
- At least 3 to 4 years of proven brand management experience
- Experience in a multinational FMCG or CPG environment
- Commercial experience across the African continent
- Experience delivering end-to-end innovation pipelines using shopper insights, consumer data, and financial metrics
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline
- Professional fluency in English and Swahili
- Strong storytelling and agency steering capabilities
- Experience leading cross-functional teams in complex matrix organizations
- Master's degree
Mars Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mars and has not been reviewed or approved by Mars.
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Healthcare Strength — The benefits package is positioned as comprehensive, with broad medical coverage and additional protections like life insurance and short- and long-term disability. Mental health support is emphasized, including free mental health services and wellbeing programming under initiatives such as Mars Be Well.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is highlighted as market-leading in the U.S., with an example of 18 weeks fully paid for both parents. Additional family-related leave types such as sick time for caregiving and bereavement leave are also described as part of the overall package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are described as strong, including 401(k) matching (with a 6% match cited) and pension plans in some cases. The broader package also references retirement savings options and contributions aligned to local market practice, supporting long-term financial security.
Mars Insights
What We Do
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, Pet Partners™, and VCA™. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
