Associate Marketing Manager, Private Brands

General Summary:

Storck is seeking an analytically minded marketer to drive the growth of our private label chocolate brands with our largest and most strategic customer.  The Associate Marketing Manager will lead our development and growth initiatives for our two private label chocolate brands, focusing on market research, brand management, and product commercialization. This unique role provides the opportunity to own the marketing responsibilities with our fastest growing retailer. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Market Research / Business Analytics

• Work cross functionally with international colleagues in Berlin by analyzing and assessing opportunities for new chocolate innovation in the US market
• Review competitive items within the market by completing regular store checks and compiling competitive reviews using IRI/Circana data 
• Initiate and perform business analysis, identify issues and opportunities and make recommendations to Team Lead / International Marketing Colleagues by turning data into insights and stories to drive growth
• Enhance current monthly reporting to better analyze and understand our shopper
• Evaluate the competitive landscape including competitive/category analysis and competitive launch review
• Partner with Market Research/Insights on research projects to support marketing objectives and brand strategies
• Manage shipment and consumption data, identify patterns and provide outlook and recommendations to drive business performance and brand health 

Brand Management

• Understand consumer trends, managing product positioning, branding, and packaging strategies, and executing promotional campaigns to increase brand awareness and sales growth. The role will also track sales performance, and ensure compliance with ALDI's marketing guidelines.
• Lead packaging re-designs through comprehensive market analysis, working with international colleagues, and understanding key shopper needs
• Work with stakeholders in Berlin to understand our Brand strategies and communicate strategies to our customer as necessary. Assess current brand strategy and lead strategic changes as needed.

Product Commercialization

• Manage the end-to-end commercialization process of all private brand items
• Own the project briefing process for any new opportunity (new flavor innovation, packaging changes, shelf tray / mix changes, etc)
• Support the commercialization process on branded products (i.e. Werther’s, Mamba, etc.) by working with Project Management team 
• Oversee test and launch of new products, report results to key stakeholders
• Lead the review process of our consumer packaging from a compliance and marketing perspective

General Business Management

• Maintain working knowledge of Key Customer confection set and provide updates on an ongoing basis – product offerings, pricing, etc. 
• Create promotional product calendar for both Private Label and Brand products by collaborating with internal stakeholders and developing understanding of key selling points that match with our product selection. 
• Support in the creation of selling presentations for customer facing meetings
• Act as the go-to resource for all trends related to the Strategic Retail Customer, developing perspective on both candy and a total store trends 
• Analyze and manage product distribution of seasonal, test, and end of life core products to optimize sales, profitability, and inventory

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• High proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of either IRI/Circana and/or Nielsen data
• Precise attention to detail
• Energetic, proactive, and action-oriented individual  
• Proven track record for resourcefulness and the ability to work independently.
• Has the ability to work cross-functionally with a diverse team and effectively communicate at all levels of an organization, both within the US and Internationally
• Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills
• Able to understand the implications of problems and effectively leverage resources to provide solutions accordingly
• Customer focused mindset
• Creative idea generator
• Strong analytical aptitude with a proven ability to analyze and interpret data

Once onboarded, this role will have direct contact with our corporate team in Berlin, Germany to work on US specific product innovation, packaging design changes, and marketing concepts. This is a unique opportunity for a marketing professional with a passion for strategic leadership and creativity to contribute to a high-growth partnership with one of the largest retailers in the US.

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Marketing, or related field or equivalent experience required 
• The ideal candidate will have 3-6 years of experience in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) marketing
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially showing the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals
• Experience with private label products and/or chocolate confectionery is highly desirable

Working Conditions: Hybrid Work Model, including Monday and Friday Work from Home, and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in normal working conditions for an office environment downtown Chicago, IL.

Travel: 5-10%, including occasional international travel

Other Qualification, Safety Procedures: Must be willing to follow and comply with communicated Company, Travel, and Retailer safety procedures, which may include COVID-19 testing or following other safety procedures in order to attend meetings, travel domestically or internationally, comply with Retail Partner safety procedures, and/or follow other workplace health and safety requirements to fulfil job duties.

Additional Information: 

Storck USA is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

What We Offer:

The salary range for this position is USD $100,000-$115,000 annually at the time of this posting.  Pay is based on several factors, including but not limited to position offered, education, skills, work experience, and other factors permitted by law.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range.  This position is also eligible for bonus pay.  

In addition to your salary, Storck offers a comprehensive total rewards package, including a 6% employer 401(k) plan contribution, Health benefits on day 1 including a 100% employer paid option for medical and dental, Hybrid flexible work schedule including reduced Friday hours all year round, Paid maternity/paternity leave, Monthly wellness stipend, and more. This position is also eligible for PTO ranging from 35-45 days based on our Company PTO Policies and paid Sabbaticals ranging from 5-20 days based on tenure. Plus, we can’t forget to mention the supply of delicious candy!! 

Additional information regarding the benefits for this position can be found in the Benefits Summary that is available from our Human Resources Department.