Marketing Manager, Nigeria

For over 75 years, BIC has been creating ingeniously simple and joyful products that are a part of every heart and home.

As a member of our team, you'll be a part of reigniting a beloved brand as we continue to reimagine everyday essentials in new, sustainable and responsible ways.

Our "roll up your sleeves and get the job done" approach to work creates an environment where self-starters, problem solvers and innovative thinkers thrive. BIC team members are empowered to take ownership of their careers and bring their unique perspectives to the table to make a meaningful impact on our mission.

It's a colorful world - make your mark by joining the BIC team today.

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager Marketing Nigeria oversees and holds ultimate responsibility for the development and deployment of a fully integrated Marketing Strategy in the country. He/She manages the Human Expression (Stationery), Flame for Life (Lighters) and Blade Excellence (Shavers) categories in their entirety within the Nigerian market.

Working closely with the General Manager Nigeria, the Manager Marketing MENAWACA, and the local Marketing teams, he/she effectively orchestrates all Marketing efforts. This includes shaping and implementing brand strategy; understand the market and consumers, engage the consumers and customers, design a strategy on product offering and positioning on both BIC and Lucky Stationery… creating demand for BIC products all within a budget, and with close follow-up of Marketing-relevant KPIs.

The Manager Marketing Nigeria will also have to work closely with Sales, Finance and Supply & Deliver teams to achieve Business Objectives and help LSNL entity create consumers connections: bring simplicity and joy to everyday life!

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES / TASKS

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• Manages a winning Brand Portfolio, covering all channels and delivering Revenue Growth Management KPIs.
• Develops an in-depth understanding of the Nigerian market, BIC categories, consumers, and their expectations.
• Develops comprehensive Marketing Plans and Strategies for the Nigerian market and oversees their implementation in the 3 categories BIC operates in, Human Expression, Flame for Life and Blade Excellence.
• Works closely with MENAWACA Marketing HQ to develop a strategy that is synergized to MEA and the Group priorities and representative of the Nigerian market.
• Builds a Lucky Stationery / BIC dual brand strategy.
• Helps define Lucky Stationery Brand Vision, Brand Strategy, and the main growth drivers and shapes the Innovation Brand Pipeline with a long-term vision and consumer-centric mindset.
• Develops new packaging for the new Lucky Stationery products as and when applicable.
• In co-ordination with MENAWACA and MEA Marketing Managers, leads the CMI (Consumer & Market Understanding) and detects insights and new brand opportunities taking into consideration the business needs and the Categories development.
• Defines the Brand Communication (ATL & BTL) and Digital Strategy in collaboration with external partners / agencies to build brand equity and boost brand awareness on both new and existing products in the 3 categories.
• Defines Trade Marketing Priorities and Promotional Calendar (Initiative Master Plans) in collaboration with the Trade Marketing and Sales Teams.
• Coordinates marketing efforts and cost-effective strategies to ensure that marketing spend is within budget, and that all marketing plans are executed on time. Closely supervises budget to support financial objectives for BIC in Nigeria.
• Coordinates Marketing Strategies with cross functional teams (Sales, Finance, Supply & Delivery, Communication…) as well as the MENAWACA & MEA Marketing Managers.
• Plays a leadership role in talent management (2 direct reports for now); develops the Marketing team capabilities and leads them in their value-creation journey through implementing plans that maximize sales, profit, and growth.

Key Performance Indicators

• Achievement of Stationery, Lighters and Shavers Net Sales and GP%; Growth vs. RF01.
• Volume and Value Market Share growth.
• Successful and timely implementation of the Marketing Plans by category.
• Results and ROI of key ATL (including Digital) & BTL Marketing initiatives (measured against expected results).
• CMI (Consumer & Market Understanding) deployment and ROI.
• P&L Responsibility – Brand Support budget management, Managing spend in-line with budget.
• Marketing Team Capabilities building.
• Effective Cross-functional collaboration with key functions to ensure delivery of objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies

R= Required              D= Desired

Simple Criteria

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• R- 8+ years of Marketing experience in FMCG company as Marketing Manager /Director or Group Product Manager
• R- Marketing degree / diploma or equivalent - BAC+5, advanced degree preferred.
• R- Speaks fluent English.
• D- Speaks other Nigerian Spoken languages.
• D- Some customer-facing experience would be beneficial.
• R- Proficient in the use of MS Office including intermediate/advanced Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• R- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• R- Cross-Cultural team management experience
• R- Management of external agencies (creative, media, research agencies)

Complex Criteria

Professional skills: thorough knowledge of marketing technical skills (business strategy / steering, consumer understanding & research, positioning, product offering, innovation & roll-out, communication, packaging design, price, promotion, distribution & trade…)

R- Business Strategy: optimizing brand / category / product performance.

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• Anticipates developments in the marketplace to detect strategic opportunities for Lucky Stationery and the BIC brand in each of their respective categories.
• Develops a mid / long-term vision and rallies the various stakeholders (local & regional teams, agencies…)
• Develops Marketing Plans from scratch, with confidence and competence in presenting them both internally and externally (Leadership team, Sales teams, key customers…)
• Works with the finance team to optimize the P&L and Revenue Growth Management KPIs

R- Consumer understanding & Research: developing consumer understanding & integrating it in Marketing projects.

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• Proactively advises on appropriate market studies and methodologies to meet the business needs/issues/ priorities.
• Optimizes the partnership with the providers when studies are completed locally (quality, cost…)
• Understands and interprets market data (ACNielsen, EPOS…). Analytical, numbers focused and detail driven.
• Enriches insight generation by integrating emerging trends and a cross-category approach. Detect and leverage consumers / influencers insights.
• Ensures proper application of knowledge from research by the teams.

R- Positioning: defining the brand/range/product positioning and bringing it to life.

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• Sets priorities to strengthen Lucky Stationery and the BIC brand positioning.
• Designs & implements appropriate brand actions matching the positioning in Nigeria.

R- Product offering / Innovation: managing and optimizing the portfolio as well as initiating and steering innovation and roll-out projects.

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• Considers the wider picture and state strategic orientations and priorities in terms of range for Lucky Stationery and BIC brands’ portfolio. This includes innovation & roll-out projects based on corporate and brand strategy.
• Completes the process of value analysis.
• Contributes to the evolution of the innovation process to maximize the NPIs success and the time to market.
• Defines launch plans, identifies risks and opportunities, and prioritizes / challenges the allocation of budget for launches.

R- Communication

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• Building the communication strategy with an integrated approach
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• Develops strong and enduring brand communication strategies and platforms.
• Steers/participates in brand communication platform developments.
• Optimizes the partnership with agencies (evaluation, remuneration, motivation)
• Steering the creative development process with an integrated approach
  •  
• Defines clear and incisive briefs to get the best from agencies (including budgets).
• Co-designs local communication ideas with agencies.
• Strategically evaluates creatives. Challenges for stronger creative work.
• Developing steering media / digital plans
• Proactively develops a vision of the media / digital scene.
• Reviews the overall performance of plans and ensures their optimization.

R- Packaging (mostly Lucky Stationery): developing / optimizing packaging design & piloting packaging projects.

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• Questions packaging design and brand architecture in relation to the brand strategy
• Contribute to major projects such as “brand identity guidelines” and brand architecture projects.
• Optimizes partnership with packaging agencies (timings, quality, motivation, cost…)
• Develops briefs and creative proposals.

R- Price: develops the pricing strategy.

• • Works with Nigeria General Manager, Sales, and Finance teams to create an overall price strategy for the region.
  • Integrates the impact of market, competitive and industry changes.
  • Assesses potential corrective pricing actions.

R- Promotion: leading the promotional approach.

• • Along with the Trade Marketing team, develops the promotional approach / Initiative Master Plan per category and channel.
  • Identifies new / creative promotional tools and encourages teams to integrate them.

R- Distribution / Trade: integrating the point of sale and trade dimensions in marketing actions.

• • Understands the Go to Market Strategy and all trade channels.    
  • With Nigeria General Manager and Sales manager, builds trade approaches and seizes new distribution opportunities that are consistent with the brand strategies per category.
  • Challenges the commercial proposals to maximize point-of-sale dimension.

Personal Skills

R- Takes Ownership

• • A self-starter and doer / finisher, working under own initiative and with full autonomy.
  • Sense of initiative, tenacity, and self-motivation
  • Ability to prioritize, take calculated risks and to perform under pressure.

R- Delivers Results

• • Rigor and high drive for results, with strong ability to make data-informed decisions.
  • Committed and able to deliver while fully respecting corporate processes and applying the appropriate level of reporting to management.
  • Able to manages projects across multicultural environments and functions.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills.

R- Champions Change

• • Takes on challenges even when dealing with ambiguity.
  • Innovates and embraces transformation (i.e Marketing technology)
  • Makes timely decisions, multi-task and consistently meets deadlines as per expectations.

R- Creates Team Success

• • Situational leader who can handle a diverse team (functions and seniority levels) and empowering them to grow and be responsible for their own work.
  • Promotes teamwork and inclusion within a multi-functional team, holds excellent interpersonal skills and strong ability to engage and influence others
  • Be the humble marketing expert, respecting others’ point of view and managing diversity regarding different cultures, management styles.

BIC 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 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.