Associate Manager Marketing Operations

Job Title: Associate Manager, Marketing Operations  

Job Location: Hershey, PA hybrid (19E)
 

Position Description:
This position leads a team of Marketing Operations Specialists/Senior Specialists and executes against Marketing Operations Specialist tasks of product and packaging management and DME support.

As a leader of a team of Specialists, the Associate Manager is responsible for the hiring, training and ongoing support of their team.  They will be responsible to ensure that the team has the training and resources needed to deliver on their goals for Product and Packaging, DME Management and Service Levels.  They will create a culture that attracts, develops, and retains top talent by facilitating the teams career development through planning and documentation.  They will develop the team for promotion readiness. 

Additionally, the Associate Manager is responsible for oversight of the Marketing Operations team in one of three key areas, DME, Product/Packaging Execution or Seasonal/Packtype strategy item execution. 

The DME lead is responsible for continuous oversight of DME execution and reporting including but not limited to YTD/YTG financials, open purchase orders, variances, etc.  The DME lead will also serve as the point of contact and SME for any complex DME issues and month-end procedures within the marketing ops team.   

The Product/Packaging Execution lead will serve as the SME for projects and is responsible for oversight of the marketing operations team project assignments.  The lead is responsible for monthly project reviews with MOPs Specialist and reporting of key deliverables and their time to completion.  The Product/Packaging lead will also serve as the Marketing Ops liaison for any system needs, maintenance and team training. 

The Seasonal/Packtypes Execution lead will be responsible for leading a group of specialists dedicated to the product/packaging execution for seasonal and strategic packtype items.   This team will work in close collaboration with business partners to deliver key business priorities. 

The Marketing Operations Specialist plays a key role in supporting product and packaging execution efforts, while also providing top-tier DME budget management support. This position works in multiple systems (SAP, Accolade, WebCenter, Impact Analysis) and partners with internal commercial teams and cross-functional partners to execute item level setup on new product and packaging projects. This position oversees all DME spending activity for assigned teams, and works directly with Budget Owners, Finance, and the Controller's team to correctly plan, spend, and accrue money according to company policy.  The Associate Manager is responsible for the continuous understanding of the teams their direct reports support to serve as a leader and a backfill in the event of rotation, leave of absences, etc.

Additionally, this role will have key responsibilities in company- wide initiatives such as new acquisition integrations and other strategic projects.  The role serves as a liaison to the finance and controllers team on an ongoing basis. 

Key Activities / Responsibilities:

• People Management
• Project Management w/ Internal Teams and External Vendors / Agencies
• Vendor / Agency Engagement
• Marketing Vehicle Setup & Execution
• Budget Entry and Project Financial Tracking
• PR/PO Management
• SOW Management
• System Entry & Update
• Embed KPIs into key processes
• KPI Support / Enablement (Near Term)

Skills / Competencies:

• Experience in product/packaging development highly preferred.
• People leadership, providing coaching, feedback, and direction.
• Superior project management skills and ability to drive projects to completion. 
• Strong financial acumen to manage budgets, represent financial liabilities, and track expenses
• Proficiency in MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and ability to learn new systems
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional business units, seek common ground and establish alignment on common goals 
• Functional knowledge in product and packaging design / development
• Experience working with product / packaging vendors / agencies (e.g., tactical design agencies, POS design/production agencies, fulfillment agencies, comp vendors…etc.)
• Overall business knowledge and holistic general management approach
• Strong knowledge of procurement policies and procedures
• Strong communication, negotiating, and organization skills
• Bonus if you have prior experience or knowledge of SAP financial systems or any background in IS.

Key Interactions:

• Report to: Manager of Marketing Operations
• Internal: Seasons/Occasions Team, Brands, Innovation, Merch COE, PLM, Packaging, Supply Chain, Finance, Sourcing/Procurement
• External: Vendors, agencies

Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's degree required.

Experience in product/packaging development highly preferred.
4-5+ years of related work experience, preferably in CPG on a Commercial Team or in a Commercial Support function.