Brand Manager

Mandatory Requirement:

- Candidates must have hands-on experience working in Dubai/UAE/GCC and hold a valid work visa.

- Alternatively, candidates with prior professional work experience in Dubai/UAE/GCC will also be considered.

Job Description:

Brand Manager - Beverages

Location: UAE

Function: Marketing

Industry: FMCG - Beverages

Reporting To: Marketing Head / Head of Marketing

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced and commercially driven Brand Manager to lead the development and growth of our beverage brands in the UAE market. The role will be responsible for translating brand strategy into strong consumer propositions, impactful marketing campaigns and commercially successful go-to-market plans. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in FMCG/Beverages, a deep understanding of the UAE/GCC consumer landscape, and the ability to work across brand, trade, digital and commercial teams.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Brand Strategy & Planning:

- Develop and execute annual brand plans aligned with overall business and growth objectives.

- Define brand positioning, consumer proposition, communication strategy and key brand priorities.

- Identify market trends, consumer insights and emerging opportunities within the beverage category.

- Develop innovation and renovation plans to strengthen the brand portfolio.

2. Marketing & Campaign Management:

- Lead integrated marketing campaigns across ATL, BTL, digital, social media, influencer and experiential platforms.

- Develop campaign briefs and work closely with creative, media and digital agencies to deliver high-quality campaigns.

- Drive brand visibility and consumer engagement across relevant touchpoints.

- Track campaign performance and optimise investments based on ROI and effectiveness.

3. Consumer & Market Insights:

- Conduct market, competitor and consumer analysis to identify growth opportunities.

- Monitor category trends, pricing, distribution, market share and competitor activity.

- Translate consumer insights into actionable brand and commercial initiatives.

- Use data and analytics to evaluate brand health and campaign effectiveness.

4. Product & Innovation:

- Work closely with R&D, packaging, supply chain and commercial teams on new product development and launches.

- Manage the end-to-end innovation process, from concept development through to market launch.

- Ensure new products are aligned with local consumer preferences and market requirements.

5. Trade & Commercial Activation:

- Partner closely with Sales and Trade Marketing teams to develop channel-specific activation plans.

- Drive brand activation across Modern Trade, General Trade, E-commerce, HoReCa and other relevant channels.

- Develop promotional strategies while maintaining brand positioning and profitability.

- Support customer-specific initiatives with key retailers and distributors.

6. Budget Management:

- Own and manage the brand marketing budget.

- Ensure effective allocation of marketing investments across channels and initiatives.

- Track spending, campaign ROI and overall marketing effectiveness.

7. Cross-functional Collaboration:

- Work closely with Sales, Trade Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, R&D and external agencies.

- Ensure strong alignment between brand strategy and commercial execution.

- Build strong relationships with distributors, retailers and other external partners where required.

Key Performance Indicators:

- Brand awareness and consideration

- Sales and revenue growth

- Market share and category growth

- Distribution and weighted distribution

- Campaign ROI and effectiveness

- Consumer engagement and digital performance

- New product launch performance

- Marketing budget utilisation

- Brand health and equity metrics

Candidate Profile:

- 6-10 years of experience in Brand Management, preferably within FMCG / Beverages / Food & Consumer Goods.

- Experience managing brands across the UAE/GCC market is highly preferred.

- Strong understanding of UAE consumer behaviour, retail landscape and media ecosystem.

- Proven experience in developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns.

- Experience across Modern Trade, General Trade, E-commerce and/or HoReCa will be an advantage.

- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to link brand initiatives to business outcomes.

- Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.

- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

- Experience in new product development and product launches is preferred.

- UAE/GCC market experience is strongly preferred.

Education:

MBA / Postgraduate qualification in Marketing from a reputed institution is preferred, with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration or a related discipline.

What We Are Looking For:

We are looking for a hands-on Brand Manager who can combine strategic thinking with strong execution - someone who understands the consumer, can build compelling brands and can work closely with Sales and Commercial teams to deliver measurable business growth.