Associate Brand Manager, MBA (Spring 2024)

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Summary:

An Associate Brand Manager (ABM)/Sr ABM has responsibility for specific projects and activities in support of the Hershey's innovation business. An ABM/Sr ABM must be a strong leader of people in cross-functional assignments as he/she plays a leadership role throughout the corporation, coordinating with other functional areas to ensure necessary actions occur in support of his/her marketing position. This position often plays a leadership and/or project management role with outside marketing suppliers such as ad agencies.

Additionally, this position requires strong analytical skills as well as an ability to translate analysis on the business into recommended programs affecting all major marketing variables. Those marketing variables include advertising, promotion, product changes, pricing, new products, retail programs, and other key programs that could affect the short and long-term profitability and share position. Individuals must have a keen view of the external environment including general trends impacting the business, competitive assessments, and an understanding of both consumers and customers.

The individual in this position supports the development of strategic, consumer-based innovation initiatives for various Hershey Company flagship brands. This individual will support strategy development and help address trends/unmet consumer needs and brand white-space opportunities to achieve company innovation growth and profit targets. This includes the identification and assessment of strategic opportunity areas and development of new initiatives, from discovery and ideation, through to commercialization using Hershey's innovation stage gate process.

Responsibilities:

• Leadership of innovation activities for Hershey's Brand
• Leadership and development of new initiatives from discovery and ideation through commercialization using Hershey's innovation stage gate process to achieve company innovation growth and profit targets
• Strategic, annual, and marketing planning and periodic re-planning on the business
• Leadership of activities inside and outside the company that will result in successful implementation of marketing plans
• Analysis of the business results or directing such analysis
• Deep knowledge of the commercial, operational, and financial dimensions of the business
• Partnership with consumer insights to support strategy development through identification of white-space opportunities and analysis of trends/unmet consumer needs
• External and internal assessments of the business environment, competitors, customers, market trends, and implications to the particular area of responsibility
• Personal training and development

Qualifications:

Education:

• MBA required externally; Internal Hershey experience in lieu of MBA

Experience/ Skills:

• At least 3 years of related work experience.
• Previous project management experience with proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment is preferred.
• Previous P&L exposure preferred.
• Experience with Nielsen and/or IRI is preferred.
• Superior leadership skills.
• Overall business knowledge and holistic general management approach.
• Superior strategic thinking and planning.
• Outstanding analytical abilities.
• Ability to nurture and contribute to innovation and creative solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to be accountable for sales, income, and profit results.
• Strong verbal and written communicator to a wide breadth of audiences including senior management.
• State-of-the-art functional marketing expertise in some, if not all, areas of marketing.
• Economic value creation mindset.
• Lifelong learner with potential to be a strong people developer.

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