Ice Cream NA New Business Development & Licensing Brand Manager

Terms & Conditions: Full Time

Background and Purpose of the Job

We are looking for a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial marketer to lead critical Strategic Pillars of the ice cream company  1) Licensing  Portfolio  and 2) New Business Development. The ideal candidate has experience leading cross functional teams, product launches, and cross funnel consumer engagement campaigns.  This role will require significant agility to deliver results in the more “traditional” aspect of the job Innovation funnel value  as well as the more entrepreneurial aspects with New Business Development.

This role will be responsible for innovation funnel and innovation P&L and requires an in-depth understanding of margin statements and profitable product launches. This position will require an in-depth understanding and appreciation of market trends, consumer insight and category dynamics in order to develop best in class campaigns and innovation that address people’s needs.

Who You Are and What You’ll Do:
You are a passionate marketer who always puts the consumer at the center of business decisions. You will be held accountable for leading innovation & engagement within our Co-brand  portfolio (Reese’s, Heath, Jolly Rancher, Hershey, Mars, etc) and driving expansion of Ice Cream brands into new categories and channels via Licensing and other partnerships.

Licensing Innovation &  Engagement

In 2023, Unilever Ice Cream re-launched Hershey’s portfolio to -branded items (i.e. Reese’s Tubs, Reese’s cones, Heath tubs, etc).   Hershey-portfolio has quickly become the fastest growing in our ice cream portfolio, and accounts for $175MM annual NSV.  As such, we created a dedicated Hershey’s Ice Cream brand team to lead product development and in-market delivery for these exciting, buzzworthy products. Key responsibilities for this scope include:

• Strong partnership and Strategic influencing skills to drive relationship with Hershey, this includes managing contract deliverables, ingredient forecast, quarterly business updates, collaboration on marketing initiatives and alignment of future funnel innovation.
  • Lead category trend work and consumer research by partnering with consumer insights team to conduct research on innovation and product concepts
  • Develop innovation pipeline by working with cross functional teams to ensure product mix is launched on time and in full, drive alignment with Hershey and other Licensing partners
  • Manage relationship with Hershey and other licensing partners  (give and receive business updates, partner with them to create Joint Business Plans)
  • Partner closely with Procurement and Supply Chain to manage capacity, identify contract manufacturers and pursue import opportunities where relevant.
  • Partner with R&D to manage product and packaging transitions, improvements and updates
  • Work hand in hand with the operations marketing team to ensure flawless execution in market
  • Identify new opportunities to develop engagement assets. Understand licensing partners marketing agenda and identify means of scaling  
  • Day-to-day management includes:
    • Lead IPT
    • Feedback from quality and consumer engagement teams
    • CIP budget optimization
    • Monitor consumer complaints and actions
    • Staying close to in market performance and competitive dynamics
    • Brief, feedback, and produce Hershey’s engagement assets (primarily lower funnel)

New Business Development Incubator

This aspect of the role will have influence across brands and impact broader ice cream portfolio.        

• “Outbound Licensing” – continue to develop capabilities and  be responsible to grow and scale this revenue stream This aspect of the role is entrepreneurial, and will have the ability to shape the future of Ice Cream Company  licensing practice. (Previous examples include: Popsicle C4 Energy Drinks, Breyers and Magnum Iced Coffee (by Victor Allen’s), Popsicle scented Goose Creek Candles, and more!
• “Inbound licensing” –develop licensing criteria for partner selection, long term strategy, and partner with the other brands in  portfolio to execute on the strategy.
• Identify new white space ideas via an incubation / acceleration model.
• Analyze new category dynamics to identify category expansion opportunities with largest size of prize, lowest barriers to entry, and permission for our brands to win
• Partner with R&D and CMI to develop new product propositions and packaging
• Lead cross functional team to take product ideas from concept all the way through production to retail shelves
• Partner with cross functionals to develop innovative new routes to market and manufacturing capabilities
• Embrace “Lean Startup” mindset to build pilots to “fail fast” and quickly test our brands’ viability in new categories
• Leverage AI to efficiently develop marketing assets
• This incubator is in its infancy, and you will have the ability to significantly influence the structure, processes, and resources dedicated to its success. Strong entrepreneurial mindset required!

You’re a born leader

This position requires strong leadership and influencing skills as you interact with cross-functional business partners, brand partners in multiple categories, agencies, and licensing partners. Having a vision and strategic intent will be critical to deliver impactful communications and innovations.

You generate powerful insights

Our consumers are at the heart of all we do, thus being able to extract insights from everyday behaviors to shopping habits will be critical. This position requires the ability to translate insights into creative agency briefs, product innovation concepts and end to end communication executions.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Strong bias for action and accountability both for self and others
• Growth and competitive mindset
• Passion and drive to grow the business
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Analytical skills to dig into the details and a capacity for deriving insights to make recommendations for the business

Ideal Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA a plus
• 5-7 years’ experience in brand management, Consulting, M&A due diligence, venture capital
• Experience working in new product innovation
• Understanding of digital and eCommerce
• Clear demonstration of successful, consistent delivery to the business
• Clear demonstration of project management and leadership skills
• Experience working with agencies and media partners
• Experience working with different customer channels
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and to provide innovative approaches in a team-based structure
• Ability to deliver both verbal and written communication in a simple, compelling manner
• Ability to think strategically, both from a brand and portfolio view

LEADERSHIP:

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.

• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.

• TALENT CATALYST: Invests in people – coaches individuals and teams to realize their full potential. Creates an inclusive climate, empowering everyone to be at their best.

• BUSINESS ACUMEN: Creates sustainable growth with purpose, engaging different partners across the system for change.

Pay: The pay range for this position is ​99,760.00 - 155,875.00. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination isIllegal and Pay Transparency Non discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.