Brand Manager (UK Market)

Multinational company leader within toy and play industry is seeking a proactive and results-driven Group Brand Manager to manage a play brand, with 3 to 5 years of experience in brand strategy, consumer behaviour, product development and portfolio management.The Group Brand Manager will oversee brand plans, portfolio, and product management for the brand that has strong visibility and awareness in UK and Ireland next to the US and other International markets. The core categories that the brand is covering are Infant, Arts & Crafts and Science. This role requires working fluently in English on a daily basis. Key responsibilities include launching new products, adapting existing ones, redesigning packaging, and ensuring product strategies are consistently implemented. The position demands a strong market and consumer understanding, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute both short-term and long-term strategies. The role is located in Zaandam, The Netherlands but requires frequent travelling to our office in Cheadle UK.Key responsibilities:Market and consumer insights: get full understanding of the market and the consumer preferences.Brand Strategy & planning: develop and execute long-term (3-year) and short-term (1-year) brand and product strategies. Implement brand strategy plans across all markets.Sales performance: Proactively manage and monitor sales performance, adjusting as needed. Collaborate on trade marketing, product development, innovation and local marketing and sales teams. Product and quality improvement: continuously initiate improvements in product quality and diversification of product assortment.Briefings: Prepare and coordinate briefings for product development, packaging artwork, user manuals and brand-related content.Training: conduct product training sessionsResearch: support and brief qualitative and quantitative research initiatives for brands and products.Communication lines: Reports to: Group Brand DirectorCollaborate with- Internally: Central/Group Marketing, Local Marketing, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, Product Development, Innovation- Externally: licensed partners, distribution partners, agenciesEducation and experience: Education: University degree in marketing, business administration, or a related field (Bachelor / Master / Diploma)Minimum of 2-5 years in a similar role.Strong project management skills.Experience managing multiple projects with deadlines. Knowledge of the toy market or art & craft is preferred.Fluent in English (spoken and written)Other competences:- Communication: Facilitate effective communication within and across departments.- Team player: Able to work independently while being a collaborative team member.- Decision-making and problem solving: Make informed decisions and resolve challenges effectively.- Consumer focus and commercial mindset: Understand consumer needs and translate them into performance-driving actions.- Creativity: Generate product ideas and guide product development teams.- Prioritization: Manage a broad and sometimes complex agenda, setting the right priorities.- Organization & accuracy: Highly organized, with the ability to keep product databases and internal tools consistently updated and reliable.- Experience in and understanding of the UK market and retail landscape is a highly valued