Head of Marketing

Job Title:         Head of Marketing Division

Division:           Marketing

Location:         Headquarters (Lagos, Nigeria)

Reports to:       Group Executive Director

Supervises:      GM Marketing / Marketing Manager, Category Manager, Brand Managers, Product Dev. Manager, National Promotions Manager

Holds ultimate responsibility for the organisation’s marketing activities and oversees the development and delivery of a fully integrated marketing strategy for the business.

Formulates and co-ordinates the implementation of policy objectives needed to direct marketing, planning functions and advertise and promote the company’s products with available resources to achieve planned sales volumes, margins and market share.

Responsible for translating agreed marketing plans into relevant programmes and activities; planning, coordinating and evaluating brand activities, ensuring compliance to statutory code/regulatory requirement and providing support services to Field Sales Operations, to achieve company’s marketing goals.

• Develop and implement portfolio strategy.
• Development and implementation of brand strategy.
• Developing the marketing strategy for new and existing products
• Develop digital strategy; social media, online & e-commerce
• Overseeing implementation of the Marketing strategy – including campaigns, events, digital marketing, and PR.
• Working closely with the company’s Sales team; enabling them to meet their commercial objectives by providing them with appropriate tools, materials and presentations
• Guiding the day to day activities of the marketing team.
• Ensuring that the marketing objectives are implemented by the marketing team.
• Oversee the planning and implementation of marketing activities on a targeted, local level
• Work closely with product management team to define marketing materials and programs.
• Manage social media presence and direct programs to improve social media reputation and recognition.
• Developing and delivering marketing and communications strategies for the organisation.
• Undertake continuous quarterly analysis of competitive environment and consumer trends
• Provide direction to continuously keep in focus the company’s vision and corporate goals relating to marketing functions.
• Prepare annual overall marketing plans, budget and reviews; and monitor implementation to achieve plans.
• Direct and co-ordinate all marketing functions towards achieving planned profit margins, market share and enlarged product portfolio.
• Provide the Group Executive Director & Managing Director with regular information on, market share and competitive activity.
• Advise the Exco. on pricing issues and application of pricing strategies to enhance competitive positioning.
• Drive new product development
• Advice Production Manager in conjunction with NSM on sales forecasts to enable preparation of production plans to meet marketing goals.
• Maintain up to date information base on total external environment and continuous portfolio assessment to guide EXCO.
• Evolve effective advertising, pricing, and promotional strategies to achieve plan.
• Train and develop a highly competent and motivated team. Provide direction, leadership and motivational focus to the marketing team.
• Report on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns using pre-determined KPIs
• Commission market research; 3^rd party and internal

• First Degree from a reputable university
• MBA or a master’s degree would be an advantage
• Professional marketing qualification E.g. Chartered Institute of Marketing may help
• 15 years’ marketing & brands experience in FMCG, particularly drinks or food.
• 4+ years in marketing within Africa

• Demonstrable track record of launching new brands / relaunching old brands to reinvigorate and grow the consumer base, market share, volume & margins
• Experience positioning & repositioning FMCG brands
• Conceived portfolio strategy & portfolio architecture
• Set marketing processes for a team of brand managers
• Brand knowledge & know-how: Brand values alignment, brand image upgrading, brand re-invigoration, brand building expertise
• Skilled articulator of value proposition for each brand to its target segment
• Relationships with the leading global creative agencies
• Resilient character ready to roll up sleeves
• Happy and comfortable being out in the field half the time meeting & observing customers & consumers to glean actionable insights
• Knowledge of sales; operations, channels, routes to market
• A proven leader & team builder able to develop talent, guide, mentor, encourage and discipline / take tough calls
• Knowledge of digital marketing
• Strong leadership, organizational & management abilities
• Consumer centric brands focus
• Ability to predict / identify and exploit consumer trends & behaviour
• Knowledge of sales systems, route to market
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, and good interpersonal relationships.

The right person will believe in and be energised by the organisation’s Vision & Mission, embracing their values;

• Uncompromising,
• Meritocracy,
• Leading through Best Practice,
• Interdependent,
• We Care