Senior Brand Manager - RAGÚ

About the role

Mizkan America is seeking a Senior Brand Manager to lead the RAGU brand on its next chapter. RAGU is the category leader in Unaided Awareness and one of America's Most Loved and Trusted Brands.

Responsibilities

• Serve as brand business owner by developing and executing comprehensive brand plans that drive growth and profitability.
• Lead day-to-day management, execution and optimization of plans to deliver against business objectives, leading business decisions to drive top and bottom-line growth.
• Collaborate with Revenue Management, Sales COE, R&D and other cross-functional stakeholders to operate as an integrated commercial team.
• Partner with Sales to strengthen channel strategy and expand physical availability across retail channels.
• Define and support pricing strategies, promotion and pricing architecture (PPA) optimization, and initiatives to grow category share and penetrate new retail frontiers.
• Refine brand positioning and consumer targets; ensure all activations and communications align with the brand strategy.
• Manage syndicated data sources (e.g., IRI/Circana) and develop performance reports and analyses.
• Maintain and evolve brand guidelines and masterbrand principles to ensure cohesive positioning across the portfolio.
• Own the brand’s business performance, lead cross-functional initiatives, and ensure excellence in execution across all consumer and customer touchpoints.

Essential Functions

• Brand & Business Leadership
  • Develop and execute comprehensive brand plans that drive growth and profitability.
  • Lead day-to-day management, execution and optimization of plans to deliver against business objectives, leading business decisions to drive top and bottom-line growth.
  • Collaborate with Revenue Management, Sales COE, R&D and other cross-functional stakeholders to operate as an integrated commercial team.
  • Partner with Sales to strengthen channel strategy and expand physical availability across retail channels.
  • Define and support pricing strategies, promotion and pricing architecture (PPA) optimization, and initiatives to grow category share and penetrate new retail frontiers.
  • Refine brand positioning and consumer targets; ensure all activations and communications align with the brand strategy.
  • Manage syndicated data sources (e.g., IRI/Circana) and develop performance reports and analyses.
  • Maintain and evolve brand guidelines and masterbrand principles to ensure cohesive positioning across the portfolio.
  • Own the brand’s business performance, lead cross-functional initiatives, and ensure excellence in execution across all consumer and customer touchpoints.
• Brand Marketing & Communications
  • Develop campaign platforms, write agency briefs, and lead the Integrated Marketing Team (IMT) from idea through activation.
  • Establish campaign KPIs and performance measurement frameworks.
  • Apply category and consumer insights to identify growth opportunities.
  • Partner with Connected Commerce to develop and activate omni-channel marketing plans, including retailer media, e-commerce, and in-store initiatives.
  • Partner with Sales Planning to support trade development and execution.
• Innovation, Renovation & Commercialization
  • Lead innovation and renovation strategies through cross-functional collaboration.
  • Partner with the Innovation Lead to build and maintain a 3–5-year innovation pipeline.
  • Develop commercialization project plans to support new product launches and renovations.
  • Challenge the status quo to enable faster, more agile innovation and commercialization methods.
• Financial Management
  • Manage the brand marketing budget and P&L.
  • Drive initiatives that improve ROI and optimize resource allocation.
  • Ensure brand plans meet or exceed financial targets.
  • Identify and implement cost-reduction opportunities that protect or enhance gross margin.
• People Leadership & Workplace
  • Coach and mentor Associate Brand Manager(s) to drive high performance support development.
  • Perform other duties assigned that support the overall success of the team, department, or organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree: MBA preferred or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of classic brand marketing or marketing communications experience, preferably within CPG food and beverage and with a well-known brand.
• Experience managing one or more brands.
• Demonstrated success in brand strategy development and execution.
• Prior P&L ownership and A&P budget management experience.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and agency partners.

Key Skills/Competencies

• Strong business and financial acumen, analytical capability, and strategic thinking.
• Ownership mindset with a strong drive for results.
• High sense of urgency; proactive self-directed leader.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency with syndicated data tools (IRI, Circana).
• Consumer-centric mindset with ability to translate insights into action.
• Strong problem-solving skills, root cause analysis, and ability to operate in ambiguity.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Resourceful, hands-on and passionate about innovation.
• Comfortable challenging the status quo constructively.
• Fluency with omnichannel marketing strategies and execution.
• Strong cross-functional partnership and strategic thinking.
• Leadership capabilities to coach, mentor, drive collaboration, and high performance.

Education/Experience/Qualifications/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree: MBA preferred or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of classic brand marketing or marketing communications experience, preferably within CPG food and beverage and with a well-known brand.
• Experience managing one or more brands.
• Demonstrated success in brand strategy development and execution.
• Prior P&L ownership and A&P budget management experience.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and agency partners.

Pay

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $160,000-$170,000. Compensation is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills and experience.

Schedule

Adequate hearing and speech to communicate effectively in person and via phone/video. Regular, predictable, in-person attendance on the business days the Company requires in-person attendance at this facility. (In-person attendance is optional on the other workdays.) For non-required-in-person attendance days, employees are expected to be present and engaged during the designated work hours for this role.)