Senior Brand Manager, EMEA (FTC - 12 months)

Senior Brand Manager, EMEA (FTC - 12 months)

Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people's lives with our high-quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all - a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment.

As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves on being listed among the World's Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do - acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.

The Role:

In this role, you will support the Director of Marketing, Consumer Care in the following:

• The development and coordination of EMEA Haircare marketing strategies to drive Net Sales and Business Profit, across John Frieda.
• The development and alignment of strategies on how to grow existing and new brands within the Kao portfolio across EMEA and be the voice for the region with Global teams. Identify EMEA gaps vs business targets, make recommendations and support projects/processes that benefit the region as a whole.
• For consult and member countries: provide 4P guidance and support.
• With new business ventures that can drive incremental growth for John Frieda, EMEA and for specific skincare opportunities within the global strategic pillars.

This is a 12 month fixed-term contract, commencing in April 2025 until April 2026.

What You Will Do:

• Support Line Manager in the development and coordination of Haircare strategy across EMEA to drive Net Sales and Business Profit. Make recommendations to Line Manager on how to grow existing and new brands. This includes short, mid- and long-term planning, identifying growth opportunities that benefit all countries. Drive key projects and processes that impact the whole of EMEA.
• Work closely with the global team and provide the EMEA voice. Influence the global development and ensure that critical market nuances/needs are understood and being addressed.
• Support Line Manager in EMEA Haircare Stage Gate responsibilities. Lead process on country inputs, liaising with NPD team and Finance on all inputs. Discussing with global and countries. Develop strategic POV on size of prize, positioning, packaging, copy/graphics etc. Identify gaps vs targets. Make recommendations to Line Manager on how to bridge any Net Sales gaps. Work closely with Associate Director, EMEA E-commerce Strategy, Mass, EMEA on aligning Net pricing within region.
• Support countries in achieving their budget targets, by making proposals that can benefit them. Lead brand analysis and NPD performance updates 2 x per year (or more when required to identify risks/opportunities). Make recommendations to global and countries on any optimizations to 4P strategies.
• Support Line Manager with the development of EMEA business cases for new brands within the Kao portfolio. Investigate brand positioning, consumer insight, POD, 4Ps etc. Make recommendations for the 4P's and GTM strategy to Line Manager. Drive inputs into EMEA P&L and make conclusions. Work closely with Associate Director, EMEA E-commerce Strategy, Mass, EMEA on aligning Net pricing within region.
• Country Development & Support: Member Countries (John Frieda)
• Drive discussions with Haircare Member Countries on business watch outs/"market intel". Recommend yearly priorities and NPD assortment prioritization for Member Countries to Line Manager, as part of yearly assortment workshops. Includes country visits (amount pending topics). Drive discussion with Haircare Member Countries on 4P strategies. Provide recommendations for marketing activation tactics and white space opportunities to Line Manager.
• Attend & present updates at appropriate leadership meetings as invited by Line Manager, Global and Sector Leaders.
  Lead/Support meetings: Member Country meetings, Global and EMEA meetings pertaining to the Haircare Stage Gate process, any EMEA specific projects or new brands.
  Lead meetings: EMEA John Frieda Product Manager Forum
• Support Line Manager in any EMEA specific projects. Pulling any necessary data and conducting analysis. Making conclusions.
• Support Line Manager with new business development ventures for EMEA for John Frieda and for specific skincare opportunities within the global strategic pillars. Support line manager with development of business cases for CCE LT & Global approval. This can include brands we consider for M&A, joint ventures or licensing partnerships. Also consider brands that have strength in EMEA, but not yet present in Americas. Present those opportunities to Line Manager. Other projects can include Commercial Innovation and TCR projects for John Frieda in EMEA.

What You Need:

• Sc./ B.A. Degree Educated
• 5+ years marketing experience, ideally in FMCG environment
• International/regional marketing experience preferred
• Collaborative and effective communicator
• Strategic thinker and problem solver with sound analytical skills
• Drive for results and set clear stretch targets
• Understands and adapts to cultural differences. (Translating the global strategy into local strategies.)
• Influencing others who are not direct reports
• Adjust leadership style to changing situations and audience.

How we work: Having been selected among the World's Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. At Kao, each employee can actively shape their job and their career. We work collaboratively to achieve our common goals, always aiming to deliver the best for our customers.

What we offer: A friendly and flexible work environment with competitive salaries, 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 entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.

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.