Who We Are:
Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.
JOB MISSION:
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Marketing to lead the strategic and operational marketing efforts for New Balance in France.
This role is critical in driving brand growth and market share, bridging the gap between lifestyle and performance, and ensuring a cohesive, consistent and impactful brand presence across all marketing channels. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing leading cross-functional teams in Brand, Consumer Insights, Media, PR, Events, Sports Marketing, Trade Marketing (instore, VM, online), and Ecommerce. You will be skilled at building and elevating a brand, with a keen understanding of the media landscape and what it takes to drive brand growth.
You are passionate about sports and fashion and have a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, market trends, and the unique intersection of lifestyle and performance categories.
Please Note: All applications are to be submitted in English to be considered.
MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Strategic Leadership
Develop and implement the local marketing strategy that aligns with global brand objectives and drives brand awareness, engagement, and sales growth across multiple channels.
Team Management
Lead and mentor a team of high-performing, cross functional marketing experts across Brand, PR, Communications, Trade Marketing, and Ecommerce.
Foster collaboration and innovation across departments.
Brand Management
Ensure consistent and compelling brand messaging that resonates with both lifestyle and performance-focused consumers.
Oversee all brand touchpoints, ensuring cohesive storytelling across digital and physical channels.
PR & Communications
Work with the EMEA Regional PR Lead to create a local PR and Comms strategy ensuring it ladders up to broader objectives.
Ensure messaging is tailored to the regional market to maximize media coverage, brand credibility, and consumer engagement.
Media Strategy & Execution
Lead the regional media strategy, ensuring the right mix of channels—traditional, digital, and social—is used to drive brand growth.
Stay ahead of trends and ensure the brand is visible where target consumers are most engaged.
Trade Marketing, Online to Instore (including VM)
Support trade marketing team to develop and implement trade marketing strategies (including online to instore tactics and visual merchandising)
Develop and implement strategies that drive in-store and online traffic and conversion, while strengthening partnerships with key retailers and internal partners like sales and broader EMEA category marketing.
Track, analyse, and report on the performance of our trade marketing efforts, utilising insights to optimize future strategies and efforts.
Ecommerce & Digital Marketing
Collaborate with the Ecom Marketing Teams, to align on calendars, activities and global stories.
Aligning plans that complement each other and ensure a seamless and consistent omnichannel consumer journey.
Understands digital marketing KPI’s and is able to analyse digital analytics and use insights to inform the future direction.
Cross-functional Collaboration
Build strong relationships with central marketing teams, product development, sales, and retail to ensure alignment on product launches, campaigns, and strategic priorities.
Sports Marketing
Work with the Global and Regional EMEA teams to bring to life all running and other sports related events for the market.
Budget Management
Responsible for a specific Marketing budget for the market, including Media, PR, Trade Marketing, and Events.
Ensuring cost-effective use of resources, ensuring optimisation of budgets and clear investment principles and priorities.
Consumer Insights and Market Analysis
Leverage consumer and data insights, and competitor activities to inform and adapt any future strategies or activities and identify new market opportunities.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, in marketing, Business or a related field.
Solid experience in marketing leadership roles within ideally, but not limited to the footwear, fashion, or sportswear industries, with a focus on both lifestyle and performance categories.
Experience managing and developing cross-functional marketing teams, with a proven ability to drive collaboration and performance across Brand, PR, Communications, Trade Marketing, and Ecommerce.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement successful marketing strategies that drive brand growth, consumer engagement, and revenue.
Strong track record of building and growing brands, with a deep understanding of how to leverage the media landscape, from traditional to digital, to drive awareness and engagement. We are looking for someone that can help bridge the gap between our lifestyle and performance categories.
Experience working in a complex matrix environment and can work with multiple stakeholders at the same time.
Ability to influence cross functional teams and external partners and foster strong relationships both internally and externally.
Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of ecommerce, digital marketing, and the role of online platforms in brand building and consumer engagement
Based in Paris, France or open to relocating.
Ability to travel up to 25%
BENEFITS:
Discretionary Bonus Opportunity
Discount on Health Insurance
Pension
Life Insurance
Daily Meal Allowance
25 days Annual Leave per year
Hybrid Working
Transportation Allowance
Employee Discount
Volunteering Opportunities via NB GivesBack
Learning & Development Opportunities
Flexibility to work 20 days from anywhere each year
Wellbeing and Mental Health Benefit (24/7 Employment Assistance Program & Support)
Equal Opportunity Employer:
New Balance is committed to equality of opportunity for all current and prospective associates regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership and gender reassignment. We are an equal opportunity employer and support a culture of diversity and inclusion.
If you have not already done so, please let us know if you require any support so we can make the right adjustments and considerations should they be required.
Top Skills
What We Do
In 1906, New Balance began as a humble one-man operation founded on the belief that “we were born to move,” and has since grown into an international corporation, selling footwear and apparel in over 120 countries and employing over 8,000 associates worldwide. Our mission has always been to support the performance of athletes, and with an unparalleled focus on quality and craftsmanship, we’ve come to set the standard for comfort and fit in an industry all too often driven by hype.
We’re incredibly proud of our history and how far we’ve come, but companies don’t thrive for over a century by being content.
Whether it’s setting a new style trend, retooling our manufacturing process, or building a new state-of-the-art headquarters, we pursue innovation with a spirit of fearless independence. As the only privately held major footwear company in the world, we’re free to do things our way, pushing limits and testing boundaries as we continually reimagine what could be. After all, the status quo isn’t static.
But doing things our way wouldn’t mean much if we weren’t also doing them the right way. We invest in our associates as they invest in us, and as we move forward, we make a point of giving back, supporting communities around us through ambitious philanthropic efforts and involvement programs. We are a company that cares, and our culture is one of integrity and teamwork where together we become greater than the sum of our parts.
