Senior Brand Manager QSR

Position Title: Senior Brand Manager QSR
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Position Location: Oakbrook Terrace
Requisition ID: 33625
About McCain.
At McCain, we're feeding the world: from French fries to cakes, we contribute to the important role food plays in people's lives. That's why we're dedicated to ensuring our core values-Family, Authentic, Trusted, and Quality-shine through every day. As a privately owned family company with over 60 years of experience, a presence in more than 160 countries, and a global team of 22,000 people, our values and culture are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that we can work together, along with our business and community partners, to bring sustainable growth and positive change today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain!
Why join the McCain family.

• Your Life - we're here to help you fulfil your potential, flourish, and thrive in work and life.

• Your Success - work alongside passionate individuals who are committed to supporting your career ambitions, drive, and success.

• Your Impact - we want you to make a meaningful, lasting impact for you, for your colleagues, and for the business.

McCain is a place where you can grow from the ground up, so join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain.
About the role.
In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and interested in helping each other create good work experiences. We think about the customer and make doing business with McCain easy.
The Senior Brand Manager, QSR position is a critical member of the North America (NA) Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Marketing Team, responsible for developing and executing annual and mid-range portfolio and marketing strategies that ladder up to deliver the 2030 Plan for the channel, unlocking profitable growth through more of the menu. The role will act as a strategic business leader with sales, innovation, marketing operations and other key cross functional groups within the organization to meet portfolio business objectives, including but not limited to amplifying top tier customer growth, new customer acquisition and environment expansion through new to McCain platforms and business models. The ideal candidate is a highly skilled marketer: solutions-oriented, forward thinking, with strong analytical and financial acumen, sound technical marketing skills, proficiency in leading new product development teams from ideation to launch, experience in developing business strategies and plans and capable of leading, coaching and developing talent. Fueled by a passion for the operator, the consumer and the category, the Senior Brand Manager, QSR will deliver profitable sales with the goal of growing and transforming the category with our chain partners,
Leadership Principles.
Our principles, each with related practices, guide our actions across the organization. Together, they address how McCain interacts with our customers and employees, and how we work as individuals and collectively to find success. While each role adheres to the Leadership Principles, individual roles may focus more on a specific principle or principles.
We are customer obsessed. Customers are our starting point. By understanding their needs and leveraging data and consumer insights, we drive mutual success.
We think big and plan ahead. Through ambition, curiosity, and smart risks, we can accomplish goals, refine processes, and innovate to scale success.
We bring out the best in our people. We create safe spaces for our people so that trust and empowerment come naturally. Inclusion is about listening first, showing humility, and working together.
We act like owners. Together, we clear obstacles and do the work that makes us all successful and proud to be part of McCain.
Accountabilities.

• Lead teams to manage cross-functional co-development innovations , including top tier chain and new platform/capability product development, product renovations or specification changes, packaging design, artwork approvals, SKU and materials management and financial feasibility exercises
• Set and direct the vision and mid-range strategy for QSR business including new customer penetration and environment expansion big bets, leveraging macro trends, demand space frameworks, consumer insights, shopper insights, and market & competitive analyses to identify where to play, how to win, and what to do in a way that drives profitable growth.
• Act as the portfolio channel lead on multi-year big-bet innovation projects with an eye towards translating customer and consumer needs into market insights and strong go-to-market propositions, clear customer engagement plans and robust selling stories to achieve business objectives. Ensure propositions developed meet business strategy and channel market needs.
• Partner closely with Insights, Innovation and Go to Market Hub to identify and champion top tier chain growth opportunities, translating market insights into strong go-to-market propositions. Partner on top tier chain presentations and account specific programs.
• Critical partner to Go to Market Hub counterpart to shape AOC annual planning process , driving/influencing innovation, base business growth initiatives and supporting/enhancing brand positioning and commercial objectives. Set and manage the marketing spend for the QSR business.
• Champion the customer and consumer, understanding the entire value chain to deliver an integrated and synergistic execution of the strategy across functions.
• Lead, coach and develop direct and/or indirect reports creating an engaged, inclusive, and high-performing channel team
• Support T1, selective T2 customer engagements led by the Go to Market Hub and sales ensuring business alignment to unlock joint value creation
• Support monthly IBP operating rhythm ; with Go to Market Hub to help drive to decisions and alignment that balance supply against demand-and drive positive mix and scale impact to financial performance of the business
• Lead base business portfolio performance reporting and product lifecycle reviews to ensure an efficient and relevant portfolio that delivers to customer, category and commercial objectives
• Proactively review key category performance drivers, identifying key levers that positively impact the P&L and adjust as needed to achieve annual operating plan objectives, inclusive of SKU profitability and mix.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field required; MBA strongly preferred
• Previous P&L management experience
• Experience deriving insights from both primary consumer research and syndicated data
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Willingness to travel
• 7+ years of Marketing/Brand Management experience with P&L ownership of a large brand or portfolio of brands within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, with a minimum of 5 years in food
• Expert knowledge of principles, concepts, strategies and techniques relating to Foodservice marketing.
• Strong commercial acumen and financial know how in the food CPG space in a tier 1 or 2 matrixed organization
• Ability to understand entire value chain and where commercial can drive efficiencies and effectiveness
• Experience of customer facing engagements preferably with major customers or chain accounts.
• Strong people management and leadership skills with high EQ with 2-3 years of experience managing direct report(s)
• Strong ability to influence people and build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and customers.
• Experience working strategically and operationally, and adapt to fast paced, ambiguous environments while maintaining accountability.
• High degree of tenacity and persistence to get actions completed on schedule with a hands on approach when needed.
• Highly organized with premium analytical skills, strong attention to detail, and a track record of translating data into insights and action.
• Proven track record in delivering several complex projects at a time
• Adept with project management fundamentals with Stage-Gate process understanding to drive decision-making with gatekeepers.

Skills:

• Is a self-starter and independent thinker with a strong work ethic who can convert insights into sustainable strategies and action plans that deliver results
• Is a highly skilled commercial marketer with proven expertise in driving sustainable impact and creating business value
• Has a natural curiosity and results orientation, with strong problem-solving skills and an ability to influence others
• Has a solid track record of developing insight-led propositions that demonstrate an understanding of what drives consumers, customers and categories, then executing with excellence
• Leads with a general management mindset, balancing consumer and operator centricity with commercial and creative skills, including strength in strategic thinking, financial & analytical acumen, planning & execution, and effective communication
• Takes a people-centric approach, training and developing direct/indirect reports and project teams and is willing to challenge self and others to continuously improve
• Is capable of prioritizing and setting business vision while ensuring alignment from key stakeholders
• Has a proven ability to lead & motivate cross functional teams to ensure critical customer, NPD and portfolio opportunities are executed to deliver business and customer objectives
• Is customer obsessed with a strong bias for results and passion for commercializing renovation and innovation that delights operators and consumers

Marketing Strategy

• Strategic leader who can drive category growth developing and executing where to play--how to win--what to do marketing strategies
• Bias for leading with customer and consumer insights, a demand-driven stance on the business, and an understanding of category & industry trends and intelligence - bringing teams along to win internally and in the marketplace

Commercial and business management acumen

• A strong commercial acumen required to manage channel and project P&Ls to achieve financial goals (top and bottom-line), aligning and prioritizing work to deliver against KPIs and owning and executing strategic initiatives in line with goals (e.g., new customer penetration, environment expansion, portfolio optimization, simplification, etc.)
• Robust understanding of the key drivers for the business / customer / category through financial knowledge of the SKUs under their portfolio and their contribution to the business.
• Strong analytical abilities, with ability to turn data into insights and action recommendations using internal and external data sources (Circana CREST, Datassential, Technomic, etc.)
• Acts as a category channel expert, understanding the industry, markets, channels, customers, consumers and competition

Executional Excellence

• Can easily toggle between high level strategic thinking and detail orientation
• The ability to deliver challenging goals, tenacious and accountable in driving results
• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through obstacles
• Strong project management skills to guarantee on time within scope delivery of projects
• Self-starter capable of navigating complex projects, independent decision making and value creation
• Ability to influence through effective storytelling, can clearly summarize complex issues and communicate recommendations in a simple, compelling manner (verbally and written)

People & Culture

• Lead cross functional teams to ensure all team members are motivated, have clear goals and are vested in delivering the plans
• Strong ability to build rapport, with the aptitude to influence others towards a common goal
• Upskill and mentor the channel and project teams in knowledge of principles, concepts, strategies and techniques relating to project management, brand management and marketing

The McCain experience.
We are McCain: this statement is about our power collectively and our importance individually-your impact is a significant part of the business. Our winning culture focuses on authenticity and trust so we can always bring out the best in our people. Here, you have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive while being yourself. Join our team to see why we're better together.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We see value in ensuring we have a diverse, antiracist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable workplace. As a global family-owned company we are proud to reflect the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that diversity drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with the Global Privacy Policy
Job Family: Marketing
Division: NA Appetizers
Department: Brand and Marketing Management
Location(s) : CA - Canada : Ontario : Toronto || US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace
Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.