Marketing Director: Food & Beverages - PepsiCo Park CDC Snacks

Responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to lead the brand and consumer agenda across the Convenience Foods and Beverages categories in South Africa, driving growth through strategic mix deployment and portfolio leadership.

This includes full accountability for brand equity, top-line growth, market share, and communication mix development across a diverse portfolio that includes Ceres, Liqui Fruit, Lipton, and key food brands including Bokomo, FutureLife, Weet-Bix, White Star Instant Maize porridge amongst others.

The incumbent will serve as the marketing lead for this extensive portfolio, ensuring alignment with the Companies long-term Mission and Vision. A high degree of cross-functional coordination is required to develop and execute plans that support growth priorities. 

The role also encompasses media strategy, budget management, and team development, ensuring delivery of both short-term brand strategies and long-term business objectives.

Practical Tips:

• Responsible for brand building, category growth strategy for full suite of Foods & Beverages categories and brands.
• Own and drive brand equity, SOM and appropriately launch new brands or brand extensions, in conjunction with Commercialisation and R&D.
• Liaise with SA CMO in developing and utilizing the support marketing ecosystem, developing and deepening consumer intimacy programmes, and building out consumer engagement platforms.
• Lead innovation agenda for growth and market relevance.
• Leadership of external stakeholders (agencies) and internal leadership of cross functional teams.
• Works within the SA CMO matrix marketing organisation, and aligned to AMESA marketing as required. PepsiCo marketing principles are followed in utilizing the marketing ecosystem, developing and deepening consumer intimacy programmes, driving the innovation agenda with Commercialisation, and building out consumer engagement platforms utilizing TCP and other PepsiCo templates.
• Strong track record of leading a large team across multiple categories is a must for this role.
• Essential, 5 years plus experience at Marketing Director level.

Accountabilities:

• Set strategic agenda and commercials plans to accelerate growth, in alignment with the Category GM and the SSA CMO
• Business Performance - Decision (D) Leads, directs, and controls marketing policies, programs, and activities to meet business objectives for local brand portfolio. Creates effective and efficient brand support and prioritizes brand investments in line with long term strategies and growth objectives. Decision rights are per SA Marketing agreed DICE.
• Align Brand calendars with GTM and DX teams
• Strategic Business Planning - Decision (D), Execute (E)
• Leads development of the long term strategic frame work for SA, including portfolio strategy and pricing strategy. Partners with key functions to build and share the best internal and external thinking.
• Supports delivery of Annual Operating Plan (AOP) - Decision (D)
• Leads category strategy translation to the effective Annual Operating Plans in category local brands.
• Develops communication strategy for pportfolio brands - Decision (D), Execute (E)
• Drives investments efficiency across SA via strategic partnerships, relevant activations and by lifting and adapting proven models.
• People Management - Decision (D), Execute (E)
• Leads, coaches and develops team members to sustainably deliver against long term strategic goals.
• Drive SOM gains in priority categories
• Deliver NR & NOPBT growth targets with Category GM
• Drive Brand Health & Loyalty metrics with SA CMO and SA Insights & Analytics Senior Director
• Execute Innovation & Pipeline priorities with Commercialisation and R&D partners
• Management of complex matrix of internal and external stakeholders
• Development of team and marketing capability for the function

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in brand marketing, preferably within FMCG
• Proven track record at Marketing Director level for 5+ years, preferably in multi-category roles.
• Honours (4-year) Degree in Marketing or Business Management/ Economics with a focus on Marketing, Masters a plus
• Track record of developing and deploying effective communication assets across all media channels.
• Relevant experience in managing agency relationships (creative, digital, media buying)
• Provide assumptions for long term brand growth, planned innovation, promotional guideline
• Proven portfolio management
• Proven leadership skills
• Functional Excellence, recognized by peers and leaders in previous roles
• Demonstration of strategy and commercial track record on complex portfolio
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent commercial acumen and demonstrated ability to deliver results
• Strong expertise and skills in Brand Purposeful positioning, TCP and 360 Brand communications
• Experience in Digital and programmatic content
• Strong Innovation skills
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to influence a broad set of senior stakeholders
• Strong matrix management skills
• Agency management
• Demonstrated ability to lead a large team