📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Customer & Brand Experience Manager
🔹 Company: Mars
🔹 Location: Netherlands (Remote)
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-04-25
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (Remote in Netherlands)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading the Customer Activation and Brand Experience team to drive growth of Champion Petfoods brands across EMEA
- Collaborating with regional marketing and sales teams to ensure successful brand strategies
- Developing and implementing a 3-year customer and market activation strategy
- Managing and developing a team of direct reports
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and the ability to navigate complex organizations. Experience in FMCG and understanding of EMEA market dynamics are crucial for success.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Develop and own the most efficient activation model for the region, identifying tools and mechanics, mapping synergies, and implementing a team process for activation development
✅ Develop and implement a 3-year customer and market activation strategy, including best practices, optimal KPI definition and measurement, continuous improvement, and delivering best-in-class capabilities
✅ Develop, deliver, and communicate the regional activity plan in line with regional portfolio and activation prioritization aligned at growth planning
✅ Line management and development of a team of direct reports, including clear succession and career planning for all high potentials
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a mix of strategic planning, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. Strong project management and communication skills are essential.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or a related field
Experience: 5+ years in trade marketing, customer or shopper marketing, or sales in FMCG
Required Skills:
- Deep understanding of local market dynamics in the EMEA region
- Strong relationship building, networking, and influencing skills
- Ability to navigate organizations through formal and informal channels
- Experience adapting global strategies for local execution
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in developing and implementing activation strategies
- Fluency in multiple languages spoken in the EMEA region
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in customer or shopper marketing, trade marketing, or sales in FMCG are strongly encouraged to apply. Familiarity with the pet food industry is a plus.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: €70,000 - €90,000 per year (Estimated based on market research for similar roles in the Netherlands)
Benefits:
- Learning and development support
- Company bonus
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible working arrangements
ASSUMPTION: The salary range is an estimate based on market research for similar roles in the Netherlands. The actual salary may vary depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Mars is a global leader in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, with a strong presence in the pet care sector through its brands like Acana and Orijen.
Company Size: Mars is a large organization with over 10,000 employees worldwide. This size offers opportunities for career growth and exposure to diverse teams and projects.
Founded: Mars was founded in 1911 and has since grown into a global company with operations in more than 80 countries.
Company Description:
- Mars is committed to creating a world where pets are cherished and cared for, and where people and pets can live a happy, healthy life together.
- The company is guided by its Five Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom.
- Mars offers a dynamic and inclusive work environment that values diversity and encourages personal and professional growth.
Company Specialties:
- Pet care (Mars Petcare)
- Food (Mars Food)
- Health and nutrition (Mars Edge)
- Confectionery (Mars Wrigley)
Company Website: www.mars.com
ASSUMPTION: Mars' large size and global presence provide opportunities for career growth and exposure to diverse projects. The company's commitment to its Five Principles creates a strong culture focused on quality, responsibility, and mutuality.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid to Senior level, with potential for growth into a leadership role
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the EMEA Marketing Director and has line management responsibilities for a team of direct reports.
Work Arrangement: On-site in the Netherlands with remote work options available for the right candidate.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to take on additional responsibilities and expand the role's scope as the team and business grow
- Opportunities to work on cross-functional projects and collaborate with teams across the EMEA region and globally
- Access to learning and development resources through Mars University
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to lead a team and drive growth for well-known pet food brands in the EMEA region. The role's scope and responsibilities may evolve as the business grows and changes.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: On-site with remote work options available
Office Location(s): Netherlands (Remote)
Geographic Context:
- The Netherlands is a multicultural country with a strong economy and a thriving business environment.
- The Netherlands is home to Mars' EMEA headquarters and offers opportunities to work with diverse teams and collaborate with colleagues across the region.
- The Netherlands has a high quality of life, with excellent education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible working arrangements
ASSUMPTION: The Netherlands offers a dynamic and multicultural work environment, with a high quality of life and excellent opportunities for professional growth.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application and resume screening
- Phone or video call with the hiring manager
- On-site or virtual interview with the EMEA Marketing Director and other team members
- Final interview with the EMEA Marketing Director and HR representative
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Leadership and team management abilities
- Cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
- Cultural fit and alignment with Mars' Five Principles
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Research Mars' company culture and values to demonstrate your cultural fit and alignment with the organization
ATS Keywords: Customer Activation, Brand Experience, Trade Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Sales, Market Dynamics, Consumer Behavior, Retail Landscape, Cultural Nuances, Relationship Building, Networking, Influencing, Activation Strategy, KPI Definition, Team Development, Succession Planning
ASSUMPTION: The application process for this role is likely to be competitive, and candidates should prepare thoroughly to demonstrate their qualifications and fit for the position.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Microsoft Project)
- Data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau)
- Marketing automation and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Marketo)
ASSUMPTION: The specific tools and technologies required for this role may vary depending on the candidate's experience and the team's needs.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Quality: The consumer is our boss, quality is our work, and value for money is our goal.
- Responsibility: As individuals, we demand total responsibility from ourselves; as Associates, we support the responsibilities of others.
- Mutuality: A mutual benefit is a shared benefit; a shared benefit will endure.
- Efficiency: We use resources to the full, waste nothing, and do only what we can do best.
- Freedom: We need freedom to shape our future; we need profit to remain free.
Work Style:
- Collaborative and cross-functional team environment
- Fast-paced and dynamic work environment
- Opportunities for professional growth and development
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you align with Mars' Five Principles and values?
- Are you comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and collaborative team environment?
- Do you have strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to drive growth and results?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates who align with Mars' Five Principles and values and have strong leadership, team management, and strategic thinking skills will be well-suited for this role.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a team remotely, with colleagues based in different countries and time zones
- Navigating a large, global organization with diverse teams and stakeholders
- Adapting global strategies for local execution in a dynamic and multicultural region
- Balancing strategic planning and execution with day-to-day team management responsibilities
ASSUMPTION: These challenges can be overcome with strong leadership, communication, and project management skills, as well as a deep understanding of the local market dynamics and cultural nuances in the EMEA region.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is similar to a Customer Marketing Manager or Shopper Marketing Manager, with a focus on driving growth and brand experience across the EMEA region
- Unlike other marketing roles, this position has a strong focus on customer activation and brand experience, with a broader scope that includes strategic planning, team management, and cross-functional collaboration
- Career progression in this role could lead to a leadership position within the marketing organization or a broader role within the company
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should consider their career goals and aspirations when evaluating this role and comparing it to other marketing positions within the industry.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and implementing a 3-year customer and market activation strategy for the Champion Petfoods brands in the EMEA region
- Identifying and leveraging synergies between markets to optimize activation tools and mechanics
- Managing and developing a team of direct reports, including clear succession and career planning for high potentials
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are designed to illustrate the key responsibilities and requirements of the role. The specific projects and tasks may vary depending on the candidate's experience and the team's needs.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 90 days?
- How does this role fit into the broader marketing organization and company strategy?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the team and the business, and how can this role address them?
- What opportunities are there for professional growth and development within the role and the organization?
- How does Mars support work-life balance and employee well-being?
ASSUMPTION: These questions are designed to help candidates better understand the role, the team, and the company, and to demonstrate their interest and engagement in the position.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Research Mars' company culture and values to demonstrate your cultural fit and alignment with the organization
- Follow up with the hiring manager within one week of submitting your application to express your interest and reiterate your qualifications
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
