UKIE OTC Category Lead

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Your role:

• To provide effective team leadership and people management of our OTC Marketing team including Brand and Shopper roles.
• Works closely with the Head of Marketing and wider team to provide input into the strategy and is accountable for the performance of the OTC category.
• To ensure that clear insights driven brand strategies, channel strategies, product lifecycle management and customer strategies are implemented.
• To ensure that Elanco OTC brands are listed and effectively promoted in store and online as determined by above strategies.
• This will be achieved through effective management of OTC marketing team.
• To work closely with marketing and sales functions to ensure that the marketing strategies are executed effectively through brand & shopper marketing tactics.
• To work with marketing agencies to ensure efficient delivery of agreed deliverables.
• To communicate OTC performance and direction clearly and effectively with Head of Marketing and Head of Sales.

Your Responsibilities:

• Execution of Country Affiliate Category and Brand Planning: Understand global and regional OTC strategies to interpret, adapt and translate into affiliate strategies and tactics leading to business success.
• Responsible for overall UKIE OTC strategy in conjunction with HofM, HofS and wider business.
• Accountable for brand strategy, shopper strategy and brand activation for OTC brands.
• Leads OTC innovation with consideration of product lifecycle management, channel management, and development of innovation business cases where appropriate.
• Accountable for overall effectiveness of OTC marketing campaigns and use of OPEX to achieve sales targets.
• Manages OTC marketing team, responsible for team performance and achievement of targets and goals.
• Leads and develops programs and projects to meet marketing objectives. Responsible for deliverables and execution of such programs.
• Builds metrics to track success and identify gaps versus planned outcomes. Adapt strategies and plans accordingly.
• Builds strong cross functional collaboration with OTC sales, technical and the wider Elanco business.
• Clear communication of financial performance and delivery of agreed objectives with HofS, HofM and wider business.

Customer Insights Centricity:

• Analyzes needs and requirements by interacting with customers, consumers, and sales teams, determining appropriate market research to determine customer needs and to identify competitive pricing.
• Spends time in the field (minimum 5 days per quarter) as needed to support Sales teams, meeting customers and consumers and gathering feedback on a first-hand basis.
• Develop a deep understanding of the customer and customer needs.
• Manage brand and product pricing, exposure and price control.
• Develop and drive customer insights initiatives and acquire market intelligence.

Production and supply of compliant promotional materials:

• Ensures team deliver marketing communications (marcoms) items aligned with global and regional brand strategy and identity (Global and Regional brands), and local brands where and when required.
• Works closely with internal personnel and external agencies involved in the production and final approval of all artwork to deliver impactful and compliant brand / shopper assets.
• Acts as Promotional Materials Owner if required, to fulfil all roles relating to material approval and retirement in alignment with local Promotional Materials SOP.

Expenditure, Production & Sales Forecasting:

• Marketing Operational Expenditure (OPEX) management and resource allocation.
• Forecast product supply.

Develop and maintain business relationships with key business partners:

• Build positive relationships with relevant external bodies, such as KOLs, advertising agencies, key vendors etc.
• Promote the Elanco brand internally and externally to build engagement.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Degree level either life science or business qualification.
• MBA or professional marketing qualification desirable.
• 5+ years marketing experience.
• Extensive team management experience.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Demonstrable passion for marketing.
• Positive attitude and fit with Elanco cultural pillars.
• Demonstrated experience in developing insights, building strong activation plan driving growth.
• Demonstrated experience in working effectively with teams and in cross-functional collaboration with sales, technical and other business functions.
• A results driven team player able to work in and with a proactive team with a high degree of customer focus.
• Excellent organizational and implementation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to influence and deliver results through others.
• Ability to set priorities and manage multiple tasks.
• Mastery of and compliance with project approval requirements, Elanco policies and procedures.

Additional Information:

• Location: Country UK/ Ireland Head Office.
• Travel required regularly within UK/Ireland and occasionally globally, up to 30%.
• Reports to Head of Marketing UK/Ireland.