Brand Development Manager

Overview:
**Our core purpose is “We are curators of unique brands, bringing elevated food and beverage experiences to Canadians.”**

Tree of Life Canada ULC is an Employer who strives to provide an inclusive work environment that involves everyone and embraces the diverse talent of its people. We are committed to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities. If selected for an interview, we will be happy to work with you to ensure your interview is accessible and accommodation is provided. When your interview is being scheduled, please advise the Recruiter of how we might be able to support your participation.

Primary Responsibilities:
The focus is to manage the relationship between the principals of the brands managed and Tree of Life Canada. The Brand Development Manager has the responsibility of being the overall general manager for the brands under their area of responsibility. Main accountability is measured in margin dollar delivery, volume delivery, expense control and SKU productivity. Other areas of measurement include core principal satisfaction, customer satisfaction & interpersonal relationship development with company associates. As with all positions at Tree of Life Canada we expect that all actions will be consistent with Tree of Life Canada’s Mission, Vision and Values.

Essential Functions:

- Support and participate in food safety programs including SQF (Safe Quality Food)
- Accountable for gross margin dollar, volume & sales dollar delivery for specific brands managed vs budgeted levels.
- Expense budget control & status reporting include issuing of manufacturer charge backs & collection of same in a timely manner.
- Ensure SKU productivity for items managed are optimized and meet company objectives, measured monthly.
- Accountable for working with sales to ensure pricing integrity is met. When price increases are needed, all supporting documentation is prepared with the proper level of detail and lead-time required.
- Accountable for preparing & reviewing a minimum of quarterly profitability reviews for all brands managed.
- Meet long-term growth goals of core brands.
- Market plan development & execution of all elements of the mix which includes overall strategy, positioning, target market, advertising, consumer promotion, trade promotion, channel/account specific programs, distribution, sales force incentives, merchandising, pricing, packaging, line extensions, research, sales aids, spending & business building.
- Work with sales dept. to prepare annual business plans by brand by account.
- Accountable for preparing & presenting regular business reviews for specific vendors, including preparing for market visits which may include store tours, driving principals to/from airport & dinners.
- Accountable for regular competitive reviews for categories managed including store visits, review flyer activities & pricing analysis.
- Customer accountability through the sales dept. for product issues within area of responsibility. Liaise with sales management to ensure TOL, principal and customer objective fulfillment.
- Develop, control & vendor approval (as required) of annual fiscal product budgets.
- Explain brand performance variance to targets as required by vendors and internal reporting.
- Ensure brand related administrative functions are processed in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
- Assist with organizing & attending certain trade shows and TOL Sales meetings. Some travel may be required.
- Meet deadlines as requested by internal/ external customers.

Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude:

- 3 years of consumer-packaged goods marketing experience with track record of results
- Business or Marketing Degree preferred.
- Knowledge of the Canadian grocery industry players in retail & foodservice is an asset.
- Proficiency in MS Office with strong presentation skills, including Power Point
- Cognos or AS400 preferred.
- Strong communication skills (oral & written), fluent in English.
- Demonstrated analytical skills, organizational, multi-tasking skills, negotiation skills, with working knowledge of category management & analysis of market research data.
- Excellent interpersonal abilities & develop strong business relationships with good reasoning abilities & sound judgment.
- High energy, perform multifaceted projects in conjunction with day-to-day activities.
- Ability to establish credibility, be decisive, recognize & support TOL’s preferences & priorities.
- High level of integrity, strong work ethic & entrepreneurial mindset.