Director of Trade & Brand Marketing

A leading global manufacturer in the pet care industry is seeking an experienced, commercially driven Director of Trade & Brand Marketing to lead its U.S. marketing organization. This remote leadership role focuses approximately 80% on trade marketing and commercial development and 20% on brand strategy and activation.

Working closely with Sales, E-Commerce, and international headquarters, you will translate global brand vision into high-impact U.S. commercial initiatives. The primary focus is aggressively driving retail distribution, strengthening category management, improving in-store execution, and accelerating growth in high-priority companion animal segments while sustaining established product lines. This role requires a balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution within an agile, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities:

Distribution & Channel Strategy: Develop and execute commercial and trade marketing plans across Pet Specialty, Mass Market, Independent Retail, and Brick-and-Mortar channels to expand distribution, optimize product assortment, and elevate merchandising.

Joint Business Planning (JBP): Partner with Key Account Managers and executive sales leadership to design and execute annual promotional calendars, line reviews, and retailer-specific growth plans.

Trade Spend & Budget Management: Co-own the trade marketing budget, Trade Promotion Management (TPM) parameters, and trade spend allocation to maximize promotional effectiveness, monitor deduction trends, and ensure strong ROI.

Omnichannel Alignment: Collaborate dynamically with the internal E-Commerce team to harmonize Brick-and-Mortar campaigns with digital/retail media programs (e.g., Amazon, Walmart Connect, Chewy) and optimize cross-channel budget allocation.

Category Insights & Storytelling: Analyze Nielsen and Circana/IRI data alongside internal POS metrics to build persuasive category reviews and data-driven retailer sell stories.

Brand & Innovation Launches: Lead trade launch kits for new product innovations (NPI) and partner with global marketing teams to adapt brand strategy, packaging, consumer engagement, and digital initiatives for the U.S. market.

People Leadership: Direct, mentor, and foster professional growth across a team of Brand Managers and Brand Design personnel.

Required Skills:

Experience: 7-10+ years of progressive CPG marketing experience with a proven track record in trade marketing, commercial strategy, category management, or shopper marketing.

Commercial & Trade Acumen: Demonstrated success building annual retailer promotional calendars, driving JBP cycles, and managing trade budgets and promotional ROI.

Analytics & Data Proficiency: Hands-on experience interpreting syndicated scanner/panel data (Nielsen, Circana/IRI) and internal sales metrics to craft compelling retail selling stories.

Leadership Capability: Proven track record of managing, mentoring, and developing direct reports while successfully leading cross-functional initiatives in a remote environment.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related discipline.

Preferred Skills:

Industry Focus: Prior marketing or commercial experience within the Pet industry or food/consumables CPG.

Channel Familiarity: In-depth knowledge of Pet Specialty, Mass, Grocery, or Club retail channels and their respective line review cycles.

Advanced Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA).