Director of Brand Management

The Role

Open Farm is a premium pet food brand built on trust, transparency, and doing things the right way, always. The Director of Brand Management is a commercial business owner and the vertical lead for the Brand Management function. You own category management end to end: you set the category strategy, manage the P&L, shape the portfolio, and lead the go-to-market plans for tentpoles and innovation, working across distribution channels, Creative, Retail Marketing, Brand Marketing, Social, Creators and PR.

You are an OMNI leader. You set category direction and economics based on channel input, then work cross-functionally to brief and align every channel. This is a builder and execution role: we need someone who creates frameworks from a blank page, not someone who adapts an existing playbook, and who can go deep into the weeds to make sure we execute with excellence.

What You’ll Own

Category management and insights

• Own the category strategy: where the category is growing, where we play, where we win, and how we plan to grow share across channels.
• Own pet-parent and shopper insights: segmentation, need states, category dynamics, competitor moves and shopper behavior by channel.
• Translate insights into category strategy, claims, positioning and product briefs, and make sure they reach every channel team.
• Partner with Sales and channel teams on category plans and joint business plans for each channel.

P&L and commercial ownership

• Manage the category P&L: net revenue, gross margin, activities ROI and marketing investment. Forecast, track and course-correct against plan.
• Build and run the base business plan, including initiatives, renovations and in-year performance reviews.

Portfolio strategy, Price Pack Architecture and SKU optimization

• Build the portfolio strategy and Price Pack Architecture from scratch across channels, with defined price ladders, pack-size roles and channel-specific assortments.
• Set clear guardrails for decision making: what we launch, what we price, what we stop and what needs to be true.
• Lead SKU rationalization and portfolio optimization with Supply Chain, Finance and Sales, using margin, velocity, complexity and incrementality data.
• Set the renovation roadmap and manage the life-cycle of core platforms.

Integrated GTM / 360 for tentpoles and innovation

• Lead the go-to-market for tentpole moments and innovation, from concept to launch and post-launch learning.
• Ensure that the brand spirit is integrated, and that activations are pushing the envelope so that we can punch above the weight.
• Collaborate with the Innovation team for smooth transitions, and align cross-functional teams across Sales channels, E-commerce, Finance, Creative and Marketing.
• Define success metrics up front and report on them after launch.

OMNI channel leadership

• Be the connecting point across Marketing, Creative, Retail Marketing, Social, Creators and PR. Write clear briefs and align on priorities and ways of working.
• Build simple, repeatable planning and decision rhythms so channels move faster and in the same direction.

Leadership

• Lead and develop Brand Managers and build the Brand Management function as the business scales.
• Partner with the VP of Marketing on structure, hiring and capability building.

What Success Looks Like

• Delivers against revenue and margin goals, and can clearly explain the drivers.
• Builds frameworks and guardrails that teams use to make faster decisions.
• Launches land on time and deliver on their business cases.
• Cross-functional partners feel aligned, briefed and supported.
• Understands the brand foundation and all the marketing levers we can pull, to create GTM plans and execution that exceed expectations.

What We're Looking For

Experience

• 10+ years in CPG brand management, category management or general management, with at least 3 years leading people. Pet, food, or other premium consumer categories are preferred.
• Proven management of a P&L (brand, category or business unit) with direct accountability for revenue and margin.
• A track record of building category strategies, PPA, portfolio strategies and SKU optimization from scratch, and being able to describe the thinking, data and decisions you personally led.
• Led GTM for multiple launches and tentpoles, across retail and DTC/e-commerce channels.
• Strong marketing fundamentals across all 4Ps – true generalist, who can be flexible and also lean in on comms side.

Capabilities

• Highly analytical and curious: you go to the data first, ask why, and are comfortable building your own models.
• Able to build commercial models.
• A generalist with strong marketing fundamentals across all 4Ps, someone who can be flexible between commercial and comms side of the brand
• Strong influence without authority. You lead cross-functional teams through alignment, not hierarchy.
• Strong collaborator, with the ability to persuade and influence.
• Clear communicator who can present to executives and simplify complexity.
• Strong AI capabilities: able to build agents and automate analysis and workflows.

Who Thrives Here

• Is commercially driven and thinks like an owner of the business, not only the brand.
• Builds from a blank page and creates frameworks others adopt.
• Is an OMNI leader who naturally connects dots across channels and functions.
• Is curious about the consumer, the shopper, the numbers and the competition.
• Some who understands the role brand play in building the business and can lean on all brand fronts.
• Someone who can roll up the sleeves to get things done, and who sees opportunities in every situation.

Why You'll Love It Here

You will have real ownership, a seat at the table, and the chance to design the commercial engine of a premium, mission-driven brand with a team that moves quickly and cares deeply.

What We Offer You - it's The Perfect Package:    

• An opportunity to grow, develop, and thrive within a mission-driven, dynamic, and fast-growing company, alongside thoughtful and passionate individuals dedicated to their work and community 
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage and RRSP plans with company match
• Great office culture (with lots of adorable pets!) where your pet interrupting video calls or in-person meeting is the norm
• Discounted food, apparel and insurance for your furry family members
• In addition to your PTO, we offer company-wide wellness days and personal days to support your wellbeing
• Volunteer days to give back to our community