Brand Manager

Position: Associate Brand Manager-Open Position-CA
Type: Contract
Duration: 6-12+ months
Location: Redwood city, CA (Remote)

Responsibilities:

As a results-driven Brand Management professional with a passion for delivering exceptional consumer products, you will play a pivotal role in advancing IF s mission. As part of the Brand Management team, you will collaborate cross-functionally with Sales & Marketing, Creative, R&D, Supply Chain, Insights, and Legal/Regulatory teams to execute brand strategies and deliver the product roadmap. In this role, you will lead and support initiatives across several key areas:

Innovation Planning: Drive the new product development process from ideation through launch. This includes coordinating launch logistics and ensuring consistency and accuracy across all product communications. Manage new product setup, system inputs, and image development to support successful launches. Ensure the on time completion of Brand Management deliverables for product stage gates to ensure launch readiness.

Project Management & Creative Development: Oversee both internal creative teams and external partners to deliver world-class packaging and creative assets. Apply brand management best practices to identify areas for operational improvement and support faster decision-making. This role will manage artwork development for Retail & FS Channels across European and APAC markets.

Product Commercialization Planning: Partner with sales and marketing teams to create impactful sales materials and go-to-market strategies tailored to local market needs. Develop sales enablement materials including pitch decks and product communication sheets.
P&L Management: Take ownership of monthly budget tracking, spend reconciliation, and vendor payments to ensure fiscal goals are met.

Skills:

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Innovation Planning:
• Maintain and update core brand documentation, including Master Product Overviews and International SKU trackers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams - Sales & Marketing, Creative, R&D, Supply Chain, Insights, Finance, and Legal/Regulatory - to update Product Requirement Documents and track revisions through the stage-gate process.
• Support the approval and maintenance of key approved product claims in partnership with Legal.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and regional sales teams to support launch readiness, including the delivery of sales samples and new product inventory.

Project Management & Creative Development:

• Manage the translation database in coordination with external agencies for label reviews and internal teams for consumer language alignment.
• Develop Foodservice packaging creative assets to support timely launch execution.
• Oversee new product system inputs including GTIN setup and MOC (Management of Change) initiations.
• Support Brand Managers in the development and review of Retail packaging.
• Assist with the stage-gate process by maintaining key product review documents such as the DVF (Design, Viability, Feasibility) framework.
• Implement brand management best practices to drive process optimization and improve decision-making efficiency.

Product Commercialization Planning:

• Maintain and regularly update sales enablement tools including product spec sheets and presentation materials tailored to local market requirements.
• Create and manage comprehensive product portfolio summaries for both Retail and Foodservice channels.

P&L Management

• Lead budget tracking activities including PO creation, spend monitoring, and monthly budget roll-ups.
  Coordinate the development of the annual, region-specific, bottoms-up brand management budget in collaboration with Sales and Marketing, Creative and agency partners.

Education:

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor s degree required; a focus in Marketing, Strategy, or a related field is preferred.
  1 3 years of experience in Innovation, Marketing, or Strategy within a consumer brand is a plus, but not required.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly summarize complex information and deliver compelling recommendations to align cross-functional teams and leadership.
  Strategic thinker with a passion for developing innovative, consumer-centric solutions.
• Strong project management capabilities, with keen attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
  Comfortable operating in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• A collaborative mindset, positive attitude, and a willingness to go the extra mile to ensure program success.