Sr. Director, Brand Connections Planning

company information:

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based dairy company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and value-added products to nourish consumers.

With $1B+ in annual retail sales, fairlife’s growing portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

The company is driven by its values of caring for the people, animals, and planet it touches across its business. By providing nourishing products, implementing stringent care standards for animals, and stewarding efficient operations and responsible packaging, fairlife, LLC puts a focus each day on making a positive impact for all. To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

job purpose:

This new role will be responsible for strengthening our overall connections planning effectiveness.  This skilled marketer will lead the team that is responsible for the creation of consumer-centric digitally led media plans, leveraging best practices to maximize impact, ROI and business results. 

responsibilities:

• Connections Planning Excellence
  • Lead the development of holistic connections plans that drive consumer engagement and deliver against brand goals, continuously optimizing ROI and overall effectiveness based upon in-market results and learnings.
  • Establish fairlife’s data strategy, leveraging various tools and technology to measure effectiveness at the audience level.  Define and effectively reach audiences for each product line.
  • Steward performance and investment during the year to ensure annual plan targets are achieved, pivoting as needed based upon macro-environment, category dynamics and in-market results.
  • Monitor the ever-evolving media landscape, identifying opportunities to innovate.  Infuse a “test and learn” mindset across all plans, with an effective approach to scaling successful platforms and capabilities.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Lead the newly formed Connections Planning team which consists of 2 Sr. Managers and 1 Specialist.  Set the agenda, coach and inspire the team; take an active interest in their professional development.
  • Lead the partnership with Essence Mediacom, our connections planning agency (~20 team members). Build effective and efficient ways of working, annual performance goals and scope of work.
  • Collaborate with Brand Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Communications and our Digital teams to ensure plans are integrated and holistic in nature.
  • Serve on Marketing Leadership Team, meaningfully contribute to the development of our world-class marketing organization.
  • Establish relationships and capture best practices with The Coca-Cola Company both North America and Global media experts to inform brand plans, partnerships and processes.

skills/qualifications required:

• Experience & Education
  • 15+ years of connections planning and/or marketing experience with increased responsibility, at least 3 years in a leadership role.
  • Ideally early career experience in a blue-chip consumer packaged goods company, followed by experience in a small to mid-size company.  Mix of client and agency experience desirable.
  • Undergraduate degree required, MBA desirable
• Consumer Marketer with A GM Mindset
  • Connections planning guru who leads with data and insights to shape strategy and plans, however, highly competent in finance, sales, operations and leverages this knowledge when making decisions.
  • Strategic thinker that is focused against winning today AND building for the future
• Exceptional Leadership Skills
  • Ability to build, drive and inspire a high performing team across a growing organization. A leader who is entrepreneurial, humble, collaborative, an active listener, dependable, confident but unpretentious
• Results Driven Self Starter
  • Innate desire to hold self fully accountable for delivering results with limited guidance.  Combination of passion and perseverance leading to stellar results
• Collaborative, Team Based Approach
  • Able to thrive in a dynamic and fast-moving environment, eager to partner, create value-based relationships with team members up, down and across the organization

position location: Chicago, fairlife HQ

reports to: Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing & Innovation

travel requirements: ~20%

fairlife, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment, the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us, please email [email protected].