Head of Brand in Manchester

Established in 1994, The Fragrance Shop is the UK’s leading independent fragrance retailer.

Our aim is to make mainstream and luxury fragrances affordable and accessible to all.

We showcase more than 130 fragrance brands in over 220 stores throughout the UK and online at www. thefragranceshop. co. uk.

We are expanding and are looking for a

Head of Brand to join the team and be part of a growing and vibrant brand.

Why you’ll love working here

• Enjoy work-life balance with our flexible working scheme - including 15 work from home days a year, duvet days and the choice to flex your working hours.
• Vibrant state‑of‑the‑art office, conveniently located in Trafford Park with great transport links and free onsite parking
• No need to travel to the gym – we have one here for you! Take advantage of our free onsite gym facilities before/after work or even pop in at lunch time
• Generous staff discounts on a wide range of fabulous fragrances
• Excellent progression and development opportunities – work with teams who are passionate about what they do and develop your expertise within a creative and collaborative space

The role

As Head of Brand, you will own the strategic direction, positioning and expression of The Fragrance Shop brand.

You will define what the brand stands for, how it shows up and how it builds emotional connection, authority and long‑term customer value.

This role leads brand strategy, storytelling, content, organic social, PR, influencer and creator strategy, campaign direction, brand partnerships and brand experience.

Working closely with Marketing, Creative, CRM, Performance Marketing, My TFS, Ecommerce, Retail and Commercial teams, you will create the ideas, stories and platforms that other teams bring to life.

The Head of Brand owns the idea, narrative and strategic direction. The Head of Marketing owns go‑to‑market planning, channel activation and campaign delivery.

• What you’ll be doing
• Brand Strategy and Positioning
• Own and evolve the brand strategy, positioning, purpose, promise, and customer proposition.
• Lead the long‑term plan to establish The Fragrance Shop as the UK’s fragrance authority.
• Define how the brand competes beyond price and promotion.
• Translate customer, category, and cultural insight into clear brand opportunities.
• Ensure the brand remains distinctive, relevant, and commercially effective.
• Brand Narrative and Guardianship
• Own the overarching brand narrative and how it is expressed across campaigns, content, PR, social, retail, and digital.
• Set the strategic direction for major campaigns, launches, and seasonal moments.
• Own the brand identity, tone of voice and brand guidelines.
• Act as the senior brand guardian for high‑profile customer‑facing activity.
• Work closely with Creative to improve the quality, consistency, and distinctiveness of the brand.
• Fragrance Authority and Content
• Lead the strategy to establish The Fragrance Shop as the most trusted and accessible fragrance authority in the market.
• Develop owned authority platforms including expert content, editorial, research, events, education, and thought leadership.
• Own the content and editorial strategy across social, site, CRM, PR, paid media, stores, and partner channels.
• Create clear content pillars, recurring formats, and an annual editorial plan.
• Lead hero content such as reports, white papers, podcasts, expert features, and editorial franchises.
• Ensure content supports awareness, discovery, customer confidence, loyalty, and trade‑up.
• Organic Social, Influencers and Creators
• Own the strategic direction for organic social media.
• Define the role of each social channel and establish a distinctive social identity.
• Create recurring social formats that combine fragrance authority, culture, entertainment, and community.
• Own the influencer and creator strategy across brand‑building, authority, and campaign activity.
• Build long‑term relationships with fragrance experts, creators, ambassadors, and cultural voices.
• Develop clear briefs, guardrails, and success measures for creator activity.
• PR, Thought Leadership and Reputation
• Own the strategic direction for consumer PR, brand PR, and thought leadership.
• Build a proactive PR calendar around category trends, launches, research, events, and expert commentary.
• Position The Fragrance Shop as a trusted voice within the fragrance market.
• Create original stories and insights that generate earned reach and strengthen authority.
• Oversee agency or internal PR support and track brand sentiment and share of voice.
• Set the strategic brand direction for major campaigns and customer moments.
• Define the core idea, audience, story, messaging, and intended brand impact.
• Develop clear briefs for Marketing and Creative teams.
• Ensure campaigns build long‑term brand value as well as support commercial priorities.
• Work with the Head of Marketing to translate brand strategy into integrated go‑to‑market plans.
• Brand Partnerships and Experience
• Own brand‑building partnerships that extend reach, strengthen authority, or improve customer experience.
• Develop partnerships with media owners, creators, experts, events, and complementary brands.
• Lead experiential activations, events, and pop‑ups.
• Shape how the brand feels across stores, packaging, gifting, sampling, digital experiences, and service interactions.
• Ensure customers experience the brand promise, not simply see it communicated.
• Customer and Commercial Impact
• Connect brand strategy to acquisition, loyalty, frequency, trade‑up and customer lifetime value.
• Use customer insight, research, and performance data to guide decisions.
• Develop clear brand KPIs covering awareness, consideration, relevance, authority, sentiment and share of voice.
• Demonstrate the commercial value of brand investment.
• Balance long‑term brand‑building with the needs of a fast‑paced retail business.
• Leadership and Collaboration
• Lead and develop the Brand, PR, Social, Content, and Influencer functions.
• Build a high‑performing team with clear accountability and strong standards.
• Create clarity between Brand, Marketing, Creative, CRM, and Performance Marketing responsibilities.
• Influence senior stakeholders and act as a strong advocate for the customer and the brand.
• Build strong relationships with agencies, creators, media partners, fragrance houses, and industry stakeholders.
• What we’re looking for
• Significant senior‑level experience in brand leadership, ideally within retail, beauty, fragrance, fashion, luxury, or lifestyle.
• Proven experience developing brand strategies that improve relevance, differentiation, and commercial performance.
• Strong experience across brand, content, social, PR, influencers, and integrated campaigns.
• Excellent strategic thinking, storytelling, and creative judgement.
• Strong understanding of customer behaviour, culture, media, and emerging trends.
• Commercial credibility and the ability to connect brand activity to business outcomes.
• Experience leading and developing high‑performing teams.
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and creating clarity across complex organisations.
• A genuine interest in fragrance, beauty, retail, culture, and customer experience.

Where will I be based?

Fragrance Quarters, Trafford Park, Manchester.

How to apply

Simply upload your CV via our careers page.

Join us now and help shape the future of fragrance retail!

The Fragrance Shop is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we are regrettably not able to respond to everyone.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of your application, please assume that on this occasion you have not been successful.

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