Senior Associate Brand Manager

THE COMPANY Website:

Nielsen-Massey is a leader in the specialty foods world, specifically in the production and marketing of the world’s finest vanillas and flavors. The company operates a branded consumer goods business (CPG/B2C) as well as a business-to-business (B2B) ingredient and flavor business. The portfolio includes various forms of pure and natural vanilla ingredients, extracts, pastes, and powders plus other flavor extracts including: lemon, almond, chocolate, coffee, peppermint, and rosewater to wholesale, culinary, and industrial customers throughout the world. The global headquarters and state-of-the-art production facility are in Waukegan, Illinois, with an additional plant in the Netherlands. The brand is well established with culinary professionals and big branded players as the premiere vanilla brand in the marketplace while the next phase of growth will come from expanding the brand to a broader base of consumers via an aggressive retail and eCommerce strategy as well as diversifying and expanding the ingredient and flavor business.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (NMV) was founded in 1907 and is still owned by three members of the Nielsen family, who work as senior executives at the company. The fiduciary Board is composed of a majority of independent directors as well as the three family shareholders. The four independent members all have CEO experience in a variety of industries, including CPG, eCommerce and Industrial/ Manufacturing.

The Company is committed to sustaining the plants, people and communities that supply their ingredients. Since 1907, NMV has demonstrated its commitment to civic and social responsibility. The company’s Community Relations initiatives encompass three main objectives: building relationships with the communities in which they live and work; showing their commitment through financial contributions to charities in support of education, youth, veterans and the environment, actively promoting volunteer service among their employees -- and demonstrating as a team that they make a difference.

NMV supports approximately 18 organizations that represent their mission-driven values. They published their first annual “Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibilities Report” in 2018. Some past ESG programs include the funding of a new Malagasy school and the construction of a solar-powered water pump in the Madagascar Village that grows Nielsen-Massey’s fair-trade vanilla.

In 2009, The Nielsen-Massey Foundation was founded with a mission to assist disadvantaged children and adults with education and leadership development, especially in the field of culinary arts. The Foundation also considers requests for assistance in the development of sustainable environmental practices or for programs benefiting people in countries of need. The Foundation’s board of directors consists of Craig, Beth and Matt Nielsen—third-generation owners of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas—and their mother, Camilla.

Throughout its more than 118-year history as a family business, NMV is proudly and fully committed to the ethical manner in it conducts business, including how employees and customers are treated. As a company, NMV remains committed to honesty and integrity, as well as openness and respect for the rights and interests of its employees. Employees are “treated like family,” in particular, with generous health care benefits.

OPPORTUNITY Position: Senior Associate Brand Manager Reports to: Brand ManagerLocation: Remote-capable role with travel as needed for office meetings and in-person events. Chicagoland candidates are preferred to support occasional collaboration at our facility.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000 (Compensation is based on education, skills, experience and other job-related factors)

Position Responsibilities:

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is a growing premium brand with momentum across B2C, Foodservice, retail, ecommerce, and innovation. We are looking for a Senior Associate Brand Manager to support the next stage of growth through strong execution, clear communication, organized planning, and thoughtful performance learning.

This role will help turn brand priorities into actionable plans across owned channels, social, influencer, website, email, creative, events, agency partners, and campaign reporting. The ideal candidate has 3+ years of marketing experience and is energized by building thoughtful programs, keeping cross-functional workstreams organized, and using results to improve future plans. We are looking for an ambitious, experienced marketer who is ready to contribute meaningfully, showcase their skill set, and grow their career.

Key Responsibilities:Owned Channels and Communications

• Lead the execution of brand communications across owned and earned channels for our B2C and Foodservice business channels.
• Lead social media planning and execution, including briefing agency partners, managing execution, and reporting on results.
• Lead influencer and ambassador programs across our B2C and Foodservice business channels, including brief development, creator review, product seeding, content approvals, campaign follow-up, and performance reporting.
• Lead website and email marketing planning and execution, including content updates, SEO/GEO, and monthly email content.
• Lead the planning and execution of event marketing, including planning, marketing material creation, product samples, on-site support, and post-event follow-up.
• Support creative direction for our B2C and Foodservice channel collateral by leading brief development and providing feedback to deliver collateral that is on-brand with a clear message.
• Serve as a day-to-day contact for agency partners across social, influencer, website, content, and ambassador.
• Track KPIs and campaign learnings to ensure programs align with strategic brand goals, measure effectiveness, and identify optimization opportunities.

Personal Characteristics:

• Strategic, execution-oriented, and motivated to make an impact.
• Naturally curious, data-driven, and eager to keep learning.
• Creative thinker with strong business judgment and a passion for their work.
• Comfortable making recommendations and not just reporting results.
• Highly organized with strong follow-through and the ability to manage complex timelines.
• Comfortable working through ambiguity, adapting as conditions change, and knowing when to move forward or escalate.
• Collaborative, proactive, and comfortable working across teams, agencies, and external partners.

Knowledge and Characteristics:MUSTS:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field.
• 3+ years of marketing experience required, ideally in CPG, food, beverage, consumer goods, retail, ecommerce, or a related consumer-facing industry.
• Strong experience with marketing communications with an emphasis on social and owned channel execution.
• Experience supporting or managing influencer marketing, creator partnerships, ambassador programs, PR, and events.
• Strong writing and briefing skills with the ability to translate business needs into clear creative direction, content direction, and partner communication.
• Hands-on experience with marketing analytics and reporting tools including Google Analytics. Must be comfortable moving beyond reporting to identify insights, explain why they matter, and recommend what should happen next.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, organize details, coordinate with internal and external partners, and keep work moving without heavy day-to-day direction.

WANTS:

• Experience with SEO, GEO, website analytics, content management systems, ecommerce content optimization, or digital shelf support.
• Experience managing paid media creative testing, performance creative libraries, shopper marketing programs, POS, coupons, or retailer-specific marketing support.
• Experience supporting new product launches including launch content, creative timelines, samples, sales materials, retailer support, or launch reporting.
• Foodservice, culinary, hospitality, or premium food brand marketing experience.
• Experience using AI-enabled tools to improve marketing efficiency, content development, analytics, or workflow management.
• Experience in a family or privately held business.

Benefits

• 401k Plan and up to 4% company matching
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement or Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Health, Dependent Care, and Commuter
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Bereavement
• Short Term Disability
• Weekly paychecks
• Rewards & Recognition Programs
• Employee Referral Program
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Annual Bonus Program