Brand Manager - Irn Bru

Job Title: Brand Manager (IRN-BRU)

Location: Cumbernauld/ Middlebrook/ Milton Keynes - Hybrid

Are you Made from Girders and ready to be Phenomenal?

This is a rare & exciting role to be part of the team that manages the iconic IRN-BRU brand. 

At AG Barr we are all about Being Your Best Barr None and having a career with real Moments that Matter! 

AG Barr has been quenching the nation’s thirst for over 145 years and is home to some of the UK’s most loved drinks brands. 

Employing around 1,000 people across four business units and seven UK locations, we are proud to be a responsible business that takes care of our people, values diversity, gives something back to our communities and works to minimise our environmental impact.

At our core is Barr Soft Drinks, home to some of the UK’s most loved soft drinks. Whether it’s the iconic IRN-BRU, launched in 1901 and still going strong today, the vibrant RUBICON fruit based brand or the unique range of BARR flavours, we brighten people’s lives with refreshingly different drinks.

And we’re growing, thanks to some exciting acquisitions in recent years, including the functional drinks brand Boost, FUNKIN which operates in the exciting and growing cocktail market and MOMA, which crafts quality oats into great tasting oat drinks and porridges.

There's never been a better time to join us!

What we’re looking for…

Our number one priority in the Marketing department is to build brilliant brands that consumers love to drink. And none are more iconic than IRN-BRU. 

This role is about developing the IRN-BRU and PWR-BRU brands through the creation of 1st class marketing programmes/ plans, that are creative, innovative, commercially sound and built with the consumer at their heart. 

Our Brand Manager will bring their experience to develop and execute best in class strategies that increase brand awareness, strengthen brand equity, and drive business growth.  You will build and protect the brand and grow market share within the category segment and Barr Soft Drinks portfolio, helping to make IRN-BRU the most talked about soft drinks brand in the UK. 

Our ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, excellent project management skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams. 

Although the role is consumer focused, clear understanding of trade issues and a sound understanding of financial data are also important. There is a significant planning component to the role, requiring the ability to evaluate information from a number of external sources. 

Your responsibilities will include...

As a Brand Manager your responsibilities will include;

• Develop & implement brand strategies that align with Barr Soft Drinks vision & goals
• Manage the development and execution of marketing campaigns across various channels, including digital, social, traditional media and retail
• Collaborate with the Commercial, Innovation, R&D & Shopper teams to ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints and to maximise impact/ROI
• Communicate and maximize the delivery of campaigns through the business, supporting our commercial and sales teams in the development of trade plans.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of brand activities, adjusting strategies as needed to achieve business objectives.  
• Understand your brand performance and generate action plans to address opportunities and risks.
• Manage external agencies and suppliers to ensure best in class deliverables and timely execution of brand initiatives.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and competitor activity to identify opportunities for innovation and growth.
• Develop and manage the brand's budget, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to support brand initiatives.
• Communicate and maximize the delivery of campaigns through the business, supporting our commercial and sales teams in the development of trade plans.
• Support the annual brand planning process for the brands, reviewing brand performance in the context of the consumer, the market and competitors to deliver annual profit, market share and appropriate consumer measures.
• Support and in some cases project-lead, innovation and development projects specific to the brands, such as new flavours or formats. 

What you’ll bring...

The successful candidate will have;

• Bachelor's degree preferable or significant equivalent experience
• Proven experience in brand management/ consumer facing role, with a proven track record of developing and executing successful brand strategies
• Demonstrable project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Strong analytical skills and commerciality, with experience of using data to inform decision-making
• Creative and innovative mindset, with the ability to think outside the box and develop fresh and engaging branding initiatives.Passion for the brand and the industry, with a deep understanding of consumer behaviour and trends

What we offer…

We believe in creating a diverse and inclusive culture where your voice can be heard.  Our skilled, loyal and committed people are critical to the future success of AG Barr which is why we are continually investing in our employees to develop their talent.

We look after our employees by offering a competitive salary and benefits package which includes;

• Up to 33 days holiday (depending on shift pattern)
• Flexible holiday trading
• Living Wage Employer
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Flexible benefits e.g. discounts & cashbacks, gym memberships, technology purchases etc
• Life assurance
• Save as you earn scheme
• Staff sales discount
• Free AG Barr products throughout your working day
• Pension
• Annual salary review 
• Ongoing professional development

And much more! 

To find out more about what it is like to work for AG Barr, please visit our careers platform here.

We are an equal opportunities employer and happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be needed for successful candidates with a disability, health or mental health condition.

While we have highlighted our ideal requirements for this role, we are realistic that the successful candidate probably won't meet every single requirement in this advert, but we are big advocates of people growing in role. So even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to submit an application - you may be just what we are looking for! Apply now!

Speculative CVs from agencies will not be accepted.

Latest closing date is Friday 29th November 2024 so if you’re Made from Girders get your application in quick. Please note, we may close vacancies early where we receive significant numbers of applications, so apply now!