Brand Manager, Early Life in Bournemouth

About Hero UK&I

You probably know us best through our beloved brands, Deliciously Ella for our range of plant-based food products, our Deliciously Ella app and our delicious recipes, Organix for our tasty toddler snacking foods and Goodies for fun and tasty pre-schooler snacks. This is a unique opportunity to make a visible impact in a market-leading company that prioritises sustainability, integrity, and natural goodness. We’re proud to be a certified B Corp, using business as a force for good — for people, communities, and the planet. You’ll find our offices in sunny Bournemouth, and the heart of London with a Deliciously Ella factory in Milton Keynes, where our passionate teams make this delicious magic happen. We’ve been named a Great Place to Work, and we’re seriously proud of the positive culture and business we’ve built together. We’re part of the Hero Group, a global family of brands united by a shared mission to Delight Consumers through honest goodness in every bite.

About Hero Group

Hero is a global food company, founded in 1886 in Switzerland, specializing in branded nutritional products across the Growing Up and Adult categories. With a portfolio of trusted brands like Corny, Semper, Goodies, Beech-Nut, Organix, and Deliciously Ella, Hero delivers high-quality, great-tasting food rooted in natural goodness. Guided by its mission to "To delight Consumers through honest Goodness in every Bite". With 4,000 team members worldwide, the company is driven by strong values, high performance, and a commitment to doing the right thing—always, without compromise.

About the role

We are looking for a Brand Manager, Early Life, to manage the in-market execution of the UK Goodies brand portfolio. Goodies is a globally developed brand by the Hero Group and launched in the UK in 2025. This role will report to the Marketing Manager, Early Life and will be working with the Category and UK teams to execute the global brand strategy within the UK, to include commercialisation of innovation pipeline, input into innovation (NFD/EPD), and ensure the brand is executed in a relevant way for UK consumers. Working cross functionally with Global Category team, UK Commercial, Communications, Digital, and external partners to execute the Goodies brand through insight led decision making, compelling commercial execution, and rigorous performance management.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio execution and pipeline feasibility
• Lead the execution of Goodies portfolio in the UK, including the full NFD pipeline, working closely in collaboration with the Category team and UK stakeholders to review feasibility and scale for UK market.
• Partner with the UK Early Life and Category teams to align on a robust 2–3-year innovation roadmap aligned to Category team strategy and local market opportunities.
• UK ambassador for all brand and packaging execution – ensuring local market inputs are considered in all packaging design and development.
• Commercial Leadership & Execution
• Lead the commercial team in delivering best in class execution of the Goodies portfolio, with a strong focus on managing core SKUs and landing innovation.
• UK brand guardian across all executional touchpoints across shopper and retail channels (In-store, online, OOH).
• Working with the Sales team on delivering against the Goodies channel strategy – building mental and physical availability.
• Supporting the Early Life Marketing Manager develop compelling, insight driven selling stories that create "wow" moments for customers and drive retailer engagement.
• Support customer-facing teams with clear, persuasive commercial narratives.
• Insight & Research Ownership
• Evaluate research outputs and translate insights into clear recommendations for the business, including the annual brand health tracker.
• Disseminate findings to cross functional teams to inform decision making and future planning.
• External Partnership Management
• Collaborate with external partners e.g. BBC on Goodies opportunities for UK market. Oversee execution of joint initiatives and evaluate performance to maximise brand impact.
• Performance Management & Portfolio Optimisation
• Lead the rolling performance review of the Goodies portfolio, identifying risks, opportunities, and required interventions.
• Deliver the annual portfolio SWOT analysis with associated action plans to drive growth and efficiency.
• Monitor in-market performance and recommend strategic adjustments.
• Own UK inputs to Global Category trackers and represent UK team and key forums.
• Pricing & Promotional Strategy
• Review and track portfolio pricing versus marketplace – make relevant recommendations.
• Brand & Communications Collaboration
• Work closely with the Global team and Senior Communications Manager and Digital team to develop core communication briefs.
• Ensure brand priorities are brought to life consistently across all consumer touchpoints.

About you

Essential skills and experience

• Degree level or equivalent
• Strong experience in brand management, portfolio strategy, or innovation within FMCG.
• Experience leading cross functional teams and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing innovation pipelines (NFD/EPD).
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate insights into compelling selling stories.
• Excellent analytical skills with experience in performance management and portfolio optimisation.
• Ability to manage external partners and build productive, long-term relationships.
• Strong communication and brief writing skills, particularly for research and creative development.
• Confident working with research platforms and methodologies (e.g., VYPR).

Desirable Skills

• Experience in baby food, children's food, or health focused FMCG categories.
• Knowledge of UK grocery retail dynamics and shopper behaviour.
• Experience working with licensed partnerships or brand collaborations.
• Understanding of pricing strategy and promotional effectiveness.

Other Skills

• Demonstrate the Hero Values
• Consumer first approach
• Keen problem-solving skills – able to use 'gut instinct' balanced with analytical evidence
• Strong influencing and communication skills at all levels and cross-functionally
• Attention to detail
• Personal integrity
• Demonstrate a drive for growth and a pro-active and curious nature to make recommendations
• Multiple stakeholder management – you will need to work with and influence every team in the business
• Being clear on your priorities – focusing on the vital projects that will deliver for the business and are aligned to business strategy & execute with excellence

What we offer

Our Values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. Developed through an inclusive process involving colleagues from across the business, they guide how we work, collaborate, and succeed together. They reflect who we are today and the future we are building:

• Create Wow - We go beyond expectations and strive to make a meaningful impact
• Everyone Hero – Every individual matters and every contribution counts.
• Nourish Others – We support, inspire, and help each other grow.
• Take Responsibility - We own our actions and outcomes, individually and as a team

You will have the opportunity to be part of a mission driven business at a hugely exciting point in our growth trajectory, where your voice is heard and where you’re able to actively impact our business.

Some great perks in working for Hero UK&I include:

• A competitive salary
• 25 days holiday. You will also get an extra day’s holiday to be taken on or around your birthday.
• Free Deliciously Ella App Access for you and five friends and family
• Private Medical Insurance
• Contributory pension scheme and access to free pension advice
• Access to Grocery Aid employee assistance resources.
• Massages & Reflexology when you are in our Bournemouth office
• Psycle Classes when you are in our London office
• Home & Tech Scheme
• Nursery Benefit
• Bike to Work and Electric Car Schemes
• Car Park benefits at our Bournemouth Office
• Hybrid Working and Flexible Bank Holidays
• Team breakfasts and Lunches and unlimited access to tea, coffee, milk, fruit and snacks from all our UK brands (depending on availability).
• Learning Opportunities and Study Leave

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

At Hero UK&I we are committed to cultivating and maintaining a culture that is inclusive and diverse. We celebrate differences and continually support all team members to be proud of who they are. We pride ourselves on equal employment opportunity regardless of gender, sex, age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or social class. We hire the best people based on an evaluation of their abilities and effectiveness, nothing else.