Overview
Brand Development Manager
Reporting Line
Reports to: Divisional Sales Manager
Direct Reports: Brand Coordinator
Role Purpose
The Brand Development Manager is responsible for strategic leadership, commercial performance, and growth of the company’s brand portfolio across all distribution channels.
The role consolidates brand strategy, commercial planning, supplier management, and market development into a single function to ensure integrated decision-making, improved efficiency, and stronger financial performance.
The position provides enterprise-level oversight of brands and is accountable for portfolio performance, supplier relationships, distribution expansion, and profitability outcomes.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
1. Brand Strategy & Positioning
• Develop and implement brand strategies aligned with business goals
• Define and maintain brand positioning, messaging, and tone of voice
• Ensure consistent brand identity across all marketing and communication channels
• Monitor brand performance and perception in the market
2. Portfolio Ownership & Commercial Leadership
• Lead overall strategy and direction for brands.
• Make commercial decisions affecting pricing, positioning, and distribution.
• Align portfolio priorities with company financial objectives.
• Identify portfolio growth opportunities and optimization strategies.
• Lead product lifecycle management: launches, relaunches, renovations, and delistings
• Develop product positioning, pricing frameworks, and value propositions
• Collaborate with Sales, Trade Marketing, and Purchasing & Logistics, to ensure portfolio alignment with market demand and operational capability
3. Strategic Planning & Market Development
• Develop and lead multi-year portfolio plans aligned with corporate strategy.
• Identify new market, channel, and product opportunities.
• Manage campaign timelines, budgets, and deliverables
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure integrated execution
• Evaluate performance trends and implement corrective strategies.
4. Finance, Purchasing & Inventory Support
• Prepare and manage the annual brand budget, including marketing spend, promotional investment, and product support costs
• Forecast brand revenues, margins, and marketing ROI in collaboration with Finance and Sales
• Monitor budget performance and ensure spend is controlled and optimised
• Evaluate campaign and portfolio profitability, making data-driven recommendations
• Support long-range planning and business cases for new initiatives or investments
• Work closely with purchasing to build out purchasing forecasts based on in-market projected sales and internal budget.
• Work closely with inventory teams to ensure there is visibility and prevention of:
Aged stock
No Write-Offs
5. Supplier & Principal Relationship Management
• Act as primary commercial lead for suppliers/principals.
• Lead negotiations and annual planning discussions. Negotiate support: pricing, A&P, visibility, and activations
• Prepare and present Business Reviews, performance updates, and business cases
• Ensure supplier objectives are aligned to local market reality
• Manage escalations and strategic alignment discussions.
6. Distribution & Channel Strategy
• Drive distribution expansion across retail, wholesale, and on-premise channels.
• Identify distribution gaps and implement corrective actions.
• Direct trade initiatives to strengthen market presence.
7. Market Intelligence & Competitive Strategy
• Analyze market trends, consumer insights, and competitor activity.
• Translate data into commercial recommendations and work closely with teams to ensure successful implementation
• Lead response strategies to competitive threats.
• Work closely with Sales to translate brand strategy into sell-in and sell-out plans
• Design promotions, activations and visibility programs that drive depletion
• Support key customer negotiations (hotels, bars, supermarkets, wholesalers)
• Build channel-specific strategies (On-Trade, Off-Trade, Events, Wholesale)
8. Cross-Functional Leadership
• Collaborate and coordinate execution with Sales, Purchasing, Finance, and Operations.
• Ensure brand plans are operationally feasible and commercially viable.
• Lead cross-department initiatives related to portfolio performance.
9. Governance & Compliance
• Ensure adherence to supplier agreements and company policies.
• Maintain accurate reporting and documentation.
• Monitor regulatory compliance relating to products and promotions.
Key Performance Indicators
• Portfolio revenue growth
• Gross margin performance
• Market share improvement
• Distribution coverage expansion
• Forecast accuracy
• Supplier satisfaction
• ROI on marketing investment
• Portfolio profitability
Qualifications & Experience
• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, or related discipline
• Minimum 6 years’ experience in brand, trade, or commercial management
• Proven experience managing multiple brands or product lines
• Demonstrated success in supplier negotiations and commercial decision-making
• Strong understanding of brand strategy, marketing principles, and consumer behaviour
Competencies
• Strategic thinking
• Commercial acumen
• Advanced analytical skills
• Negotiation expertise
• Financial literacy
• Decision-making ability
• Influencing and stakeholder management
Key Relationships
External Relationships:
• Principals / Suppliers
• Retailers
Internal Relationships:
• Finance Department
• Purchasing Department
• Warehouse
• Inventory
Working Conditions
• Office and field based
• Regular trade visits
• Occasional travel
• May require extended hours during launches or planning cycles
Performs other job-related duties as reasonably assigned by the Divisional Sales Manager or designate that are consistent with the nature, level, and purpose of the role and necessary to support the achievement of the Company’s objectives.
This job description outlines the primary responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. Responsibilities may be amended from time to time in line with business needs, provided such changes are reasonable and within the scope of the role