Associate Brand Manager

Associate Brand Manager – Frozen BreakfastHometown Food Company is looking for a detail-oriented Associate Brand Manager to ensure executional excellence on critical initiatives across multiple well-known brands. The person in this role will be responsible for leading day-to-day activities including consumption reporting, innovation commercialization, portfolio management, sales support, digital/social media, budget management and graphics approvals. A successful candidate is one who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is agile and can pivot quickly based on changing customer or consumer needs, communicates effectively and works well with cross-functional teams.This role is in office 5 days/wk at 500 W. Madison Ave., Chicago, ILKey Responsibilities:Business Management: Responsible for driving short and long-term growth for the business portfolio including budget management and processing of vendor PO's & invoicesProduct Portfolio Management: Use syndicated data (IRI Circana) to analyze item performance in the context of category & competitive trends to understand key market dynamics and recommend strategies to optimize long-term brand growth.Innovation and Renovation: Work with the R&D function to lead and manage innovation pipeline and commercialize new SKUs as well as update artwork and packaging on existing portfolio.Strategic Planning: Support annual planning for brands within managed portfolio. Execute plans and track & optimize existing strategies to help achieve brand goals.Activation and Engagement: Lead and manage social media, website updates and overall e-commerce execution at national and customer level.Category Management: Analyze consumer insights to help shape decisions related to product placement, pricing, and marketing campaigns.Skills & Qualifications:Education: Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field (MBA is a plus).Experience: 1+ years in a relevant CPG marketing role (food-specific experience is a plus).Syndicated Data: Comfortable pulling and analyzing IRI and/or Nielsen data.Project Management: Experience commercializing & launching new items to market.Agency Management: Able to work with agencies and deliver clear briefs & communication.Strong Communication: Ability to present findings clearly to leadership and cross-functional teams.Can-Do Attitude: Self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving, should be adaptable and willing to learn new processes and tackle new challenges.Financial Acumen: Solid foundation in financial analysis & comfortable with P&Ls.Detail-Oriented & Process-Driven: Focused on operational efficiency & driving business growth.