Manager, Brand Protection

The Manager, Brand Protection is responsible for leading the brand protection strategy and protecting the Brother brand in its most profitable and vulnerable market - genuine consumable supplies for its Business Machine Group division. This role develops, implements, and leads strategies to ensure compliance with brand standards across the digital landscape, including eCommerce sites and marketplaces, social media, search engines, etc. The Manager, Brand Protection manages the life cycle of brand infringement from strategy development to detection through resolution through the use of business intelligence and agency partner relationships. This role collaborates with Brother global affiliate stakeholders and support departments including legal, supplies marketing, channel marketing, and pricing/contracts team to develop a one-Brother approach to brand protection enforcement. This is a developing role, to include the creation and establishment of appropriate procedures to enforce Brother trademarks and protect its brand in the marketplace, working with partners to identify best practices, and serving as an active steering committee member on Brother's international brand protection team, alongside Europe and Japan.

Brand Protection Strategy and Industry Advocacy

• Lead the brand protection strategy from development, implementation, and enforcement for the consumable market of the Business Machines Group and its effects within the global business
• Analyze sales data to determine high-risk priority SKUs and marketplaces and communicate to vendor partners to guide their efforts in brand protection.
• Optimize ROI and data driven-strategies for brand enforcement by reviewing and interpreting data and reporting to seek efficiencies in processes and partner assortment
• Determine KPIs against which to measure a successful brand protection program and protect supply revenue while minimizing risk and cost
• Discover and act against unauthorized sellers obtaining and distributing products outside of Brother program guidelines (source tracing) and determine a strategy to combat such activities.
• Work closely with stakeholders throughout the company and all Brother affiliate companies that share the Brother brand to create and manage brand protection strategy
• Serve as key contact to Brother affiliate companies related to global partnerships and strategies and serve as an active/leading member of the Brother Global Brand Protection Steering Committee, representing Brother Americas
• Increase and optimize customs trainings to minimize counterfeit arrivals from overseas
• Represent Brother as an advocate of genuine consumable protection through industry events and thought leadership, including ISC (Imaging Supplies Coalition).
• Provide training related to brand protection as necessary to influence and develop buy-in for a brand protection strategy

Brand Compliance

• Lead the strategies to detect and identify brand infringement across the digital landscape, including, but not limited to, eCommerce marketplaces, partner sites, social media, and the internet using appropriate search tools and/or vendors
• Manage and review vendor partner brand infringement reporting to qualify and prioritize eCommerce seller and marketplace listings not in compliance with brand standards to determine enforcement strategy
• Use known counterfeit indicators, marketplace category seller requirements, and proper usage terms of Brother's intellectual property to assert risk and impact to create and determine enforcement strategy
• Partner with legal department, Brother affiliate companies, and external investigative agencies to support brand enforcement, non-compliant eCommerce seller take-downs, and applicable litigation

Vendor Partnership Management

• Serve as the key contact for the multiple vendor partners supporting Brother’s brand protection activities
• Understand and navigate contract terms as they relate to the Brother’s brand protection strategy
• Set and align the expectations for listing prioritization and reporting, and manage against KPIs
• Manage and coordinate annual/quarterly vendor program reviews to provide info-sharing across Brother stakeholders and discussion of outside best-in-class program learning
• Manager vendor partners including, but not limited to: global marketplace counterfeit identification, brand protection, test purchasing, legal investigation and litigation, General Exclusion Order (GEO), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) training.
• Work with internal/external legal counsel as necessary to protect the Brother brand

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Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience) in Business Administration, Marketing, Project Management, or another relevant field

Experience

7 years corporate experience spanning the following areas:

• Experience working in a previous brand protection role with an original equipment manufacturing company (OEM) or similar company, or brand protection agency/vendor
• Monitoring for trademark infringement and brand enforcement on third-party marketplace sites
• Developing brand protection strategy and metrics to measure success

Software/Technical Skills

• MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)

Other Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Deep understanding of Intellectual Property law enforcement industry, including copyright and fair use principles, as well as U.S. trademark prosecution
• Deep knowledge of identifying and brand enforcement against counterfeit goods
• Strong understanding of third-party online marketplace platforms
• Clear, concise communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and creative thinking
• Ability to proactively and independently on multiple projects under tight time frames in a fast-paced environment with a positive and energetic attitude
• Ability to explain complicated matters and communicate in plain language to a variety of audiences
• Collaborative and responsive to change, feedback, and new ideas
• Strong appetite for bold innovation

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What We Offer Our Employees

We offer an above-market benefits package that includes a choice of Health Insurance plans (including Dental and Vision Insurance), a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, paid holidays, paid time off (PTO), and more! Plus, if you’re considering an advanced degree that would help you achieve your development and career goals, Brother USA offers a highly competitive tuition reimbursement program.

Apply today to learn why Forbes called Brother one of the World’s Best Employers (2020) and NJBIZ called Brother one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey (2022)!

This role will be a hybrid role. Subject to business needs, employees may work remotely up to two days per week. Assigned office days will be determined by managers.

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