Brand Manager

Rooted in California, Califia Farms is on a mission to create a future where plants replace dairy, without compromise. The company creates a variety of great-tasting plant-based beverages that make the transition to eating plant-based dairy easy and delicious. Califia Farms is one of the fastest-growing, independently owned, natural beverage companies in the US, UK, and Canada, and is well-known for its iconic curvy bottle. Califia Farms was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District, with a manufacturing facility in Bakersfield, Calif. The company’s culture is built around four core values: passion for purpose, insights into action, fierce interdependence, and challenger spirit.

The Brand Manager will lead product portfolio management and brand-building programs for a specific product category within the Califia Farms portfolio. This business leader will use consumer insights, category/competitive insights, and business analytics to drive product line strategies to deliver annual revenue and gross margin targets. He/she will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to drive innovation and renovation projects from concept through post-commercialization business analysis.

This position works in-office Tuesday through Thursday.

• Lead product management, innovation, and marketing activation for a specific product line(s) within the Califia portfolio (exact product line may vary depending on business needs)
• Build and implement plans to deliver annual volume, revenue and gross margin targets
• Understand market trends and manage the categories according to the evolving competitive landscape and changing consumer needs
• Leverage business insights and analytics across core product lines to gain alignment on business decisions
• Build business cases and drive subsequent project stage-gate recommendations
• Work inter-dependently with key functional counterparts in R&D, Sales, Finance and Operations to drive strategic projects forward
• Lead cross-functional teams to develop, incubate and launch innovation and line extensions
• Develop project revenue and consumption forecasts
• Create and manage detailed project timelines to ensure delivery of project milestones
• Develop consumer learning plan and execute research to drive insights that impact the business
• Identify structural components and graphics of packaging to best convey product proposition
• Lead development of marketing support plan to build awareness of product lines
• Support Brand Director in building annual marketing plans that effectively drive HH penetration, brand awareness and trial
• Collaborate with Sales to build selling materials and selling strategy
• Develop, manage and track annual budget and spending
• Make recommendations on improving resourcing, process, etc.
• Coach, manage and train Marketing Coordinators and Associate Brand Managers to build capabilities required to progress in their career

• MBA preferred, but not required
• Previous experience working in consumer-packaged goods, food and beverage marketing
• Minimum of 3-4 years in a previous brand management role
• Exhibits a deep understanding of and experience with syndicated consumption and panel data (IRI, Nielsen, Numerator, etc.) in order to effectively measure business performance and drive actions
• Understands the levers of a product P&L including revenue, gross margin, COGS, etc.
• Experience leading consumer research, including concept testing, sensory testing, focus groups, etc.
• Experience leading cross-functional project teams to successfully launch new products
• Experience developing marketing campaigns that build awareness and drive in-market performance
• Ability to lead with confidence, gain consensus and influence others
• Exceptional collaborative partner to peers

Salary Range: $125 - $140K

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.