Senior Manager Marketing - Developed Markets

This role can be located anywhere within the Developed Markets territories (Greece, DACH, Benelux, Nordics)

Marketing Manager – Developed Markets

(Nordics, Benelux, DACH & Greece)

Reports to: General Manager – Developed Markets, dotted line to EU Marketing Director                                                                                                   

Purpose of the Role

The Marketing Manager – Developed Markets is responsible for defining and governing cluster marketing priorities for Stationery, Shavers and Lighters across the Developed Markets cluster, translating Global and European brand strategies into clear, insight‑led direction tailored to local market realities.

The role owns the delivery of these priorities across markets, setting frameworks, guidance and governance to ensure consistent, high‑quality execution and activation. While execution is led locally, this role remains accountable for performance, including P&L delivery, market share growth and value‑accretive outcomes such as penetration, HERO SKU visibility and brand consistency.

As a senior cluster leader and member of the Developed Markets leadership team, the role partners closely with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain and European Marketing to enable disciplined, coherent and effective local execution that drives sustainable growth across the cluster.

Strategic Accountability

This role operationalizes the Developed Markets Marketing growth model:

• Penetration‑first brand building
• HERO SKU prioritization and visibility
• Channel‑relevant activation
• Portfolio simplification and mix improvement
• Efficient, ROI‑driven Marketing (of which media) investment
• Priority-focused support
• Consistent execution standards across diverse markets

Key Responsibilities

• Developed Markets Marketing Growth Model

• Define and lead the cluster Marketing strategy across Developed Markets, ensuring alignment with European guidelines and business objectives.
• Define clear growth priorities across Stationery (incl. sub‑segment complexity), Shavers and Lighters, balancing short-term performance and long-term brand building.
• Translate Global and European brand strategies into clear cluster-specific annual and multi-year Marketing and activation plans, as well as innovation roadmaps.
• Champion consumer and shopper understanding across the cluster, ensuring insight-led and data-driven decision‑making at all levels.

• Brand, Portfolio Strategy & P&L Management

• Own the cluster portfolio strategy, including innovation launches, SKU rationalization and lifecycle management across categories.
• Ensure HERO SKUs receive proportionate focus across markets and channels.
• Work closely with Finance, RGM and Sales on:

• Forecasting, budget planning and profitability analysis
• P&L and price ladders definition for NPD and key initiatives
• Tracking ROI across Marketing investments and activations

• Ensure profitability is secured while identifying opportunities for incremental growth across channels and markets.

• Integrated Activation Plans

• Oversee the execution of strategic Marketing initiatives into each country and develop integrated activation plans for local teams, ensuring discipline, consistency, quality and commercial impact.
• Ensure Marketing activations contribute to mix accretion, profitability and brand equity.
• Work closely with local market teams to:

• Align on category priorities, target segments and activation focus
• Set standards for pricing, promotion, POS, on‑pack and in‑store activation
• Ensure timely roll‑out of campaigns and initiatives

• Provide clear guidance and best practices to enable strong local execution across diverse market landscapes.

• Sales & Customer Marketing

• Partner with cluster and local Sales to ensure Marketing strategy supports strong customer selling stories and execution.
• Support pricing and promo strategy with insights and category logic.
• Guide the development and adaptation of customer‑ready tools and narratives (launch decks, category stories).
• Maintain strong external focus through market visits, store checks and customer interaction.

• Insights, Analysis & Performance Tracking

• Drive insight‑led and data-driven decision-making through strong consumer, shopper, and market understanding.
• Champion robust market and performance analysis across the cluster, leveraging data sources, customer feedback and internal reporting.
• Identify trends, risks and growth opportunities across categories, channels and countries.
• Build a sound KPI architecture for the cluster, ensuring action plans are in place when performance deviates from plan or execution standards.
• Drive cross-market learning by sharing best practices, test-and-learn results and insights across the Developed Markets cluster.
• Reduce portfolio and activation complexity where it does not drive incremental value.
• Improve media efficiency and ROI through disciplined planning and evaluation.
• Ensure resource allocation reflects strategic intent.

• Governance, Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide structure, clarity and prioritisation across a complex multi-market environment, setting clear Marketing KPIs for all initiatives.
• Act as the senior Marketing interface for the Developed Markets cluster, partnering closely with the General Manager and Marketing Europe.
• Communicate clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders across different cultures and countries.
• Represent Developed Markets Marketing in European forums and contribute to acceleration plans, long‑term strategy and cross‑market initiatives.
• Build strong agency partnerships at cluster and local level, ensuring effective briefing and delivery of high‑quality work.
• Act as a role model for strategic thinking, collaboration and commercial acumen.

Success Metrics

• Growth Quality

• Penetration increase across categories
• HERO SKU distribution and visibility
• Mix improvement and activation quality

• Marketing Efficiency

• ROI improvement across campaigns
• Media effectiveness and spend discipline

• Simplicity & Adoption

• Portfolio rationalization
• Reduction in reporting and activation complexity
• Reduction in duplication between European, cluster and local teams
• Adoption rate of International Markets playbooks, frameworks and tools

• Execution Excellence

• Consistency of brand execution
• Speed and quality of activation across markets

Qualifications & Experience

• Background Requirements

• Degree in Marketing, Business or related discipline (MBA or equivalent advantageous).
• Significant experience in senior Marketing roles within FMCG or a similarly complex, matrix organisations.
• Proven track record managing multi‑country Marketing strategy.
• Strong experience working across Stationery and/or similarly complex categories, with exposure to durables or regulated categories a plus.
• Fluent in English.

• Technical & Professional Skills

• Excellent Marketing competencies and proven expertise in brand building.
• Strong strategic and analytical capability, with the ability to distil complex information into clear priorities.
• Excellent communication skills and stakeholder management as well as influencing skills across functions and cultures.
• High level of financial and commercial acumen, including P&L and budget management.
• Strong project and portfolio management capabilities across multiple markets.
• Deep understanding of shopper, consumer and customer dynamics.

• Personal Skills & Leadership Style

• Confident, credible and resilient leader.
• Comfortable operating through influence rather than direct line management.
• Has a passion to grow functional skills of the cluster marketing team members
• Collaborative, pragmatic and results‑oriented.
• Culturally aware, adaptable and able to flex leadership style across markets.
• Curious mindset with a continuous improvement and constructive challenge mentality.
• Able to balance global discipline with local pragmatism.

Additional Information

• Focus

• Sustainable growth of sales, market share and profitability across Stationery, Shavers and Lighters.
• Clear cluster direction combined with strong local execution.
• Building alignment, clarity and momentum across diverse markets.

• Typical Challenges

• Managing complexity across multiple countries.
• Influencing cross‑functional and cross‑cultural stakeholders without direct authority.
• Balancing consistency and local flexibility.
• Making choices and prioritising effectively across categories, markets and initiatives.

BIC World is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly commit to hiring people with different backgrounds and experiences to help us build better products, make better decisions, and better serve our customers. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability status, or similar characteristics. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

BIC World is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms to any team member at BIC via email, or directly to a BIC team member in any form without a valid written search agreement in place for that position will be deemed the sole property of BIC, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by BIC as a result of the referral or through other means.