Chicago
The tgin® Brand Manager is a strategic, results-driven marketer responsible for leading the strategic growth of the tgin® brand by developing brand strategies, identifying consumer insights and category whitespace opportunities, and driving profitable growth through innovation and commercialization. This role serves as a key commercial partner to Sales and retail accounts, ensuring brand initiatives align with consumer needs, retailer priorities, and business objectives. The Brand Manager partners cross-functionally with Sales, Product Development, Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Creative, Operations, and Finance to bring new products and marketing initiatives to market while strengthening brand equity and expanding distribution across key retail channels. This is an ideal opportunity for a strategic, commercially minded marketer with experience in consumer-packaged goods (CPG), beauty, or personal care who enjoys translating consumer insights into business growth. Responsibilities BRAND STRATEGY & LEADERSHIP • Develop and execute annual and long-term brand strategies that strengthen brand equity and drive profitable growth., • Identify consumer insights, market trends, competitive activity, and category whitespace opportunities to inform business strategy and innovation., • Develop compelling brand positioning, messaging, and storytelling that differentiates tgin® within the textured hair care category., • Ensure consistency of brand identity and messaging across packaging, retailer programs, marketing materials, education, and consumer touchpoints., • Monitor brand performance and recommend strategic initiatives that increase awareness, consideration, and loyalty. COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT • Build and maintain strong relationships with key retail partners and internal commercial stakeholders., • Partner with Sales to develop retailer-specific growth strategies, promotional programs, and commercialization plans., • Support retailer line reviews, joint business planning initiatives, annual meetings, and customer presentations., • Identify opportunities to increase distribution, optimize assortment, expand shelf presence, and grow category share., • Develop recommendations based on retailer performance, category trends, and consumer insights. Consumer Insights & Category Strategy • Analyze consumer behavior, market research, retailer data, competitive intelligence, and industry trends to identify growth opportunities., • Translate insights into actionable recommendations that support innovation, marketing, and commercial strategies., • Maintain expertise in multicultural beauty trends, textured hair consumers, and evolving consumer needs., • Monitor category performance and identify opportunities for assortment optimization and portfolio growth. Innovation & Commercialization • Partner with Product Development to identify and prioritize innovation opportunities aligned with consumer needs and retailer demand., • Lead commercialization efforts for new product launches from concept through retail execution., • Coordinate cross-functional launch plans with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Creative, and Marketing teams., • Evaluate post-launch performance and recommend improvements for future initiatives., • Review product portfolio performance and recommend product renovations, discontinuations, and whitespace opportunities. Cross-Functional Leadership • Collaborate with Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Sales, Product Development, Creative, Operations, Finance, and external partners to ensure successful execution of brand initiatives., • Provide strategic brand direction while leveraging the expertise of functional partners., • Build project plans, establish milestones, identify risks, and drive accountability across multiple initiatives., • Present recommendations and business updates to executive leadership and cross-functional teams. Financial Management & Business Performance • Manage assigned marketing budgets and ensure investments support profitable growth., • Partner with Finance and Sales to develop pricing recommendations, forecasts, promotional strategies, and business plans., • Monitor key business metrics and recommend actions to improve financial and brand performance., • Prepare business reviews and performance updates for senior leadership. Key Performance Indicators: • Net sales growth, • Gross margin performance, • Market share growth, • Household penetration, • Retail distribution gains, • Retailer performance, • Promotional effectiveness, • Innovation contribution, • Brand awareness and equity, • Successful commercialization of new product launches, • On-time delivery of key business initiatives Required Skills & Abilities: • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field required., • MBA preferred., • Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Brand Management, Brand Marketing, Commercial Marketing, Category Management, or Product Marketing within the consumer packaged goods (CPG), beauty, personal care, or related industry., • Experience supporting national retail customers such as Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, CVS, Walgreens, Sally Beauty, or similar retailers preferred., • Strong understanding of brand strategy, commercialization, consumer insights, pricing, merchandising, promotional planning, and category management., • Experience developing retailer presentations, joint business plans, and commercialization strategies., • Demonstrated ability to analyze consumer, retailer, financial, and category data to drive business decisions., • Experience utilizing syndicated research tools such as NielsenIQ, Circana (IRI), SPATE, retailer portals, or comparable platforms preferred., • Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, pricing strategy, margin analysis, and P&L fundamentals., • Exceptional presentation, storytelling, communication, and influencing skills., • Proven project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment., • Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to collaborate across Sales, Product Development, Finance, Operations, Creative, Digital Marketing, and external partners., • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Education and Experience: • Beauty, textured hair care, skincare, cosmetics, personal care, or CPG experience strongly preferred., • Experience leading new product commercialization from concept through retail launch., • Experience supporting omni-channel retail environments, including mass, drug, specialty beauty, and professional channels. Physical Requirements: • Ability to travel approximately 15–25% for retailer meetings, trade shows, consumer research, industry events, and company meetings., • Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer., • Ability to occasionally lift up to 15 pounds. Our office is located in Chicago, ½ block north of the United Center just west of Fulton Market.