Director of Trade Marketing (HG19)

Asahi UK (AUK), part of Asahi Europe & International Ltd, aims to enrich consumer experiences through innovation, high-quality service and an exceptional portfolio of premium beer, ale and cider brands including, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, Meantime, Fuller’s London Pride and Cornish Orchards. Our aim is to be the leading super premium beer business in the UK, through a brand mix that creates a compelling proposition. At AUK we operate as an end to end business unit responsible for sales, marketing, customer operations, production, supply chain and wholesale operations in the UK & Ireland. For further information, visit www.asahibeer.co.uk

Asahi Europe & International is a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. Employing > 12,000 people, Asahi Europe & International is the custodian for leading super premium lager brands Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Asahi Super Dry, plus international Czech lager brands, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel. The business has world-class brewing and production facilities in 8 markets – UK, NL, ITL, PL, CZ, SK, HU, RO. In most of these markets, we are the leading brewer with full portfolio of famous brands. Commercial operations in other parts of Europe, USA, Canada, LatAm, Africa and Asia are served through our global distribution network. With state-of-the-art facilities, some of the best brewers in the world, quality ingredients, and a culture based on innovation and collaboration, Asahi offers the best quality of beer to beer lovers worldwide. More information can be found at www.asahiinternational.com

Position Overview & Purpose: 

• Lead the Asahi UK Trade Marketing department. Create the strategic direction through 5 key pillars: 
• Customer and Shopper Marketing and Activation 
• Brand experience and conversion at key moments of truth
• Executional excellence with our strategic customers
• Sales Team enablement and effectiveness
• Consistent Measurement, Evaluation & Learning

This role is pivotal to the commercial organisation.  This department needs to remain the catalyst for innovative and differentiated trade marketing activity. In addition to this there are numerous strategic projects for the team to lead. 

As part of MLT and extended Sales Leadership this role is also a critical one for driving overall AUK commercial, capability and leadership growth.

Key Deliverables & Responsibilities: 

• Defines a clear future direction for Shopper and Trade, including a coherent 2–3-year strategic view aligned to the company’s commercial priorities. This direction should provide clarity to stakeholders on strategic focus areas, deliberate choices, and trade offs
•  Proactively shapes business direction, leading senior Sales and Marketing stakeholders in defining what the organisation should prioritise with Shopper and Customer, and how execution should be structured to deliver commercial value across the channels.  Influences JBP investment and conditionality as a partner to Sales team
  • Brand BTL Plans Created and Developed with Brand teams and led through channels
  • Lead Purchase Driver BTL development & evolution of our brands, in particular bringing Occasion based Marketing into our shopper execution
  • Brands activated effectively in all channels to best in class standards
• Leads Ways of Working between Customer Marketing, Brand and Sales Teams.  Leads IAP and CBI process annually.  Improve education and development of Sales Team (& Brand team) understanding in shopper and point of purchase excellence
• Manages the departmental budget and overhead to pre-described guidelines. Coaches teams to apply insight-led, critical thinking throughout planning cycles.  Actively champions evaluation and learning processes
• Develop leadership within the function and especially direct reports.  Ensure reports are acting as true leaders for their teams—defining direction, owning decisions, giving feedback, developing talent, and driving standards, not only managing tasks
• Ongoing assessment & development of Trade Marketing department functional capability.  Highlighting opportunity areas and building plans to close them
• Lead vision and execution of Ecomm strategy, partnering with Sales and Digital Comms team to step change commercial impact
• Positions Asahi UK at the forefront of the Retail and Hospitality space, in particular with regard changing technology and the growth of Retail media.  Leads direction of travel with strong partnership with Customers and internally to create a future that puts us ahead of the competition

Experience & Qualification Requirements: 

• Excellent ability to develop strong working relationship and influence across all levels of the organisation. Will be an enthusiastic team player with a strong drive to create a positive work environment
• Strategic, solution-based thinker with commercial acumen.  Ability to think ‘outside the box’ and comfortable working in an environment which demands strong deliverables
• Resilient and comfortable with ambiguity. A business leader with breadth of thought.
• Ability to identify insight and deliver projects through to action with evidence of having delivered successful brand building initiatives
• Strong understanding around premium brand building and resulting brand portfolio management
• Outstanding internal and external communication and leadership skills
• Is focused on strategic priorities and acts with focus, avoiding unnecessary complexity. Ability to allocate resource to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• A growth mindset with an eagerness to learn and be positive agitator for progress.  Is constantly raising the level of ambition with a ‘if this was my business’-approach

We are committed to nurturing a workplace where we celebrate and respect difference, and support everyone to be true to who they are! At Asahi Europe and International we believe you can SHINE AS YOU ARE - no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs.  We want to support you to be courageous in your individuality and to know that whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, you can belong with us without having to conform.