Senior Brand Manager
About the job
- Strong analytical skills interpreting quantitative datasets, including syndicated point-of-sale and panel data, and qualitative datasets, and translating insights into actionable strategies.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and coach teams to reach decisions amid competing factors.
- Ability to develop compelling presentations and deliver them effectively to audiences at all organizational levels.
- Interpersonal and communication skills to influence without authority.
- Understanding of profit and loss management, volume forecasting, annual budgeting, and key financial drivers.
- Self-starting ownership and leadership capabilities demonstrated in prior roles.
- At least 7 years of experience in consumer packaged goods brand management, including base business and innovation.
- Bachelor's or university degree.
- Experience in consumer packaged goods brand management is required.
- Own the full profit and loss for the USA Foods base business, using insights about consumers, customers, and competitors to identify performance drivers and achieve business goals.
- Build and drive long-term growth strategies for key segments, bringing stakeholders along and leading cross-functional teams through execution.
- Lead annual marketing plans end-to-end, from strategy to sell-in, grounded in insights and brand thinking to deliver results and meet financial commitments to grower owners.
- Partner with Media, Brand Strategy, Integrated Marketing, and Omni teams to develop consumer-insight-led marketing campaigns that achieve business objectives and marketing key performance indicators.
- Lead cross-functional teams to evolve the portfolio and prioritize opportunities to remain relevant with consumers and customers.
- Lead and develop two direct reports, providing coaching, clear feedback, and growth opportunities while fostering a collaborative team culture.
- Partner with the Senior Director and Senior Associate Brand Manager to shape Fresh Cranberry business growth strategy, balancing supply complexity with demand opportunities.
- Lead cross-functional teams through the FUEL stage-gate process to renovate and strengthen the core Craisins offering across the Club channel.
- Set strategy and guide an Associate Brand Manager in executing a full-funnel Holiday Campaign that recruits buyers for Craisins' baking occasion and expands the reach of Cranberry Sauce.
- Work with a Grocery Sales Lead and cross-functional teams to develop a seasonal plan to increase Cranberry Sauce display support and reach shoppers across omni touchpoints at a major retailer.
- Coach Associate Brand Managers to analyze profit and loss statements and consumption drivers and translate insights into actions that deliver returns for grower owners.
- MBA or advanced degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
- Experience in Food or Beverage consumer packaged goods.
- Experience managing and developing direct reports.
About the company
Ocean Spray is a grower-owned agricultural cooperative that produces cranberry- and citrus-based beverages. Its main products include cranberry juices, juice cocktails (such as Cran-Apple), and historically, jellied cranberry sauce. The cooperative model means the cranberry and grapefruit growers themselves own the company, which helps set stable prices and leverage collective marketing power. The product line expanded from cranberry sauce to juices after a crisis in 1959, targeting blended juice drinks to diversify beyond single-fruit offerings. Unlike many brands that are owned by outside investors, Ocean Spray has remained cooperatively owned and has rejected acquisition offers, maintaining alignment with its grower-owners. The company’s goal is to expand markets for its fruit by developing and selling juice beverages and other related products while providing stable returns to its growers.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$20K
Headquarters
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Founded
1930
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 21, 2026 leadership hires sharpen supply chain and transformation before harvest.
- May 12, 2025 Leagues Cup sponsorship and Bryan Cranston campaign keep Ocean Spray culturally visible.
- Ocean Spray sells in more than 100 countries, spreading risk beyond North America.
What critics are saying
- September 2026 executive churn under Buckwalter signals a turnaround pressure cooker, not stability.
- The 2026 Absolut licensing bet hands shelf space and margin to Pernod Ricard.
- A failed harvest or farmer defection would cripple Ocean Spray's cooperative model and brand supply.
What makes Ocean Spray unique
- 700 farmer-owners across U.S., Canada, and Chile anchor Ocean Spray's cooperative moat.
- June 22, 2026 CEO Abigail Buckwalter arrived from Nestlé Health Science with turnaround credentials.
- Absolut and Ocean Spray's 2026 RTD line extends its cranberry brand into spirits.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
- Fertility Treatment Support
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match
- Short-Term Incentive/Performance Bonus
- Flexible Work Hours
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Paid Vacation