Senior Brand Manager - Merchant Gourmet

Based - St Albans, AL1 2RE (Hybrid 50%)

12 Month FTC, Full Time

Join Premier Foods — where people, brands and purpose come together.

Shape the future of one of the UK's most exciting food brands

At Premier Foods, we're passionate about creating food that people love. Merchant Gourmet has built a reputation for inspiring consumers to eat more adventurously through delicious, convenient grains, pulses and plant-based products. As we continue to grow, we're looking for an experienced and ambitious Senior Brand Manager to join the team on a maternity cover contract.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of a thriving brand, influence strategic direction, and deliver exciting marketing initiatives that drive growth, consumer engagement and commercial success.

As Senior Brand Manager, you'll be the brand champion for Merchant Gourmet, both internally and externally. You'll own the brand strategy and deliver best-in-class execution across the marketing mix, ensuring the brand continues to delight consumers and outperform the market.

Working closely with cross-functional teams across Commercial, Sales, Innovation, Insights, Finance and R&D, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping growth plans, leading innovation projects and delivering impactful communication campaigns.

What you'll be doing?

• Owning the P&L, brand performance and market share delivery for Merchant Gourmet.
• Developing and executing growth strategies that drive consumer trial, loyalty and retailer support
• Leading the creation and implementation of brand communication campaigns.
• Building compelling activation plans in partnership with retailer-facing teams.
• Bringing innovation and renovation projects to life, from concept through to launch.
• Using consumer, category and market insights to inform strategic decision-making.
• Monitoring and analysing brand performance, identifying opportunities for growth.
• Playing a key role in monthly business reviews and annual planning cycles.
• Building strong relationships across Sales, Customer Marketing, Category, Commercial Planning, Finance, R&D and Operations.
• Leading, coaching and developing the Social Media Manager and Design Lead.
• Acting as a passionate ambassador for the Merchant Gourmet brand across the business.

What we'll need from you?

We're looking for a commercially minded marketer who combines strategic thinking with a strong bias for action.

You'll bring:

• At least 5 years' experience in FMCG or another brand-led organisation.
• Strong brand management and marketing experience, ideally including innovation development.
• A proven track record of delivering successful growth initiatives and marketing campaigns.
• Excellent commercial acumen and analytical capability.
• The ability to translate data and insights into clear recommendations and action plans.
• Experience working effectively across multiple functions and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong leadership skills with a collaborative and inclusive approach.
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset and a high level of personal accountability.

What we offer you in return?

• Competitive salary and bonus
• Up to 7.5% pension
• Private medical insurance and life assurance
• Hybrid working (50% home / 50% office or site)
• Sharesave scheme and the option to purchase additional holiday
• Extensive learning and development opportunities
• Access to a wide employee discount scheme

Ready to apply?

Click Apply and submit your CV tailored to this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.

At Premier foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.

We're proud to be a Disability Smart employer and are committed to supporting disability inclusion throughout our recruitment process. If you experience any access issues or require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know so we can ensure you have the support you need.