OVERVIEW
In Blue Buffalo, our mission is to Feed and Treat More Pets Like Family. Blue Buffalo is the #1 most loved brand and the #1 most trusted brand amongst pet parents in the U.S. And now, we are working to bring Blue Buffalo to more pet parents across the globe. Growth in International markets is a key component of accelerating Pet and International Segment growth at GMI! The opportunity is highly attractive: in General Mills core markets outside of the U.S., Pet food is a $31B category growing at ~8% over 5 years. Asia provides for the biggest opportunity and our priority focus within International. Our goal is to win by delivering remarkable products, investing across the 4Ps, and actively building relationships with pet parents.
We are looking for a strong Brand Manager to join the Pet International Brand Development Team (BDT) to help lead our growth acceleration. The Pet BDT is a cross-functional team that is responsible for the execution of the brand strategy (aligned with International Leadership and the Pet BDT leader) in international markets, product pipeline development (innovation, renovation, HMM, PPA), along with brand-building strategy and creative toolkit development. You will be part of the Pet International cross-functional team of ITQ, Supply Chain, Finance, and CMI to develop our product portfolio to launch and compete in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.
You will partner very closely with our team(s) on the ground in China, and in other International markets, to deeply understand the local pet parent and category dynamics in order to define the right strategy and portfolio. You will also work closely with key Pet Segment brand leaders to capture/apply learnings to international product portfolio development.
We are looking for a leader that embraces the BLUE culture. “Love them like family, Feed them like Family” isn’t just a slogan, it’s the purpose that shapes everything we do. We are by pet parents, for pet parents. We aim to raise the game in pet food and deliver high quality natural ingredients to more pets than ever. Buffs operate with a can-do attitude, strong work ethic, common sense, and belief in BLUE.
If that sounds like you, join us!
KEY Responsibilities
• Strategy Take the Pet International brand strategies approved by International Leadership and the Pet BDT leader and bring to life for your product portfolio in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.
• Build Deep Knowledge of the Local Pet Parent: develop strong industry and pet parent empathy and use that knowledge to inform business strategies. Partner with CMI on relevant in-market testing to support product development and launch planning.
• Portfolio Development: deeply understand the local consumer to identify and develop the right portfolio to compete and win across markets. Collaborate with the international cross-functional team on the development process. Lead custom packaging design where relevant.
• Lead Projects through the Launch to Win Process: Lead development of gate materials at each stage of development. Partner with cross-functional BDT and market leaders to prepare for decisions at the U.S.-led PMR.
• Develop Product Launch Plan Recommendation & Materials: Provide guidance on price positioning strategy, key claims and attributes, and develop selling story to engage distributors and customers. Partner with local market teams to ensure relevancy and impact in market.
• Team Leadership: Lead a cross-functional team to foster a collaborative and accountable culture across a broad team and stakeholders.
