Brand Manager

The Brand Manager for Helena Products Group (HPG) will discover, evaluate, develop and commercialize new product brands for the Helena sales force to drive increased sales and profit. The primary focus is to find and develop products that compliment or upgrade the current product line. This position works closely with the marketing services department, the formulation lab, research and development as well as the registration department to move projects forward through the development process. The ideal candidate for this position is an energetic professional who is able to multi-task effectively, offer quick and accurate advice and provide creative solutions to help advance HPG brands.

This employee's primary duty must be the performance of office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of Helena or Helena's customers. This also includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgement with respect to matters of significance.

What your day may look like

• Coordinates and conducts due diligence sessions with technology providers to access business and product development and commercialization opportunities related to technology.
• Coordinates with key stakeholders on all new product ideation originating within Helena or with an outside technology provider to explore market viability, costing, gross profit estimates, and overall financial and market potential for product concepts.
• Manages and coordinates with legal counsel, all HPG and third party contractual negotiations and ongoing agreements with technology providers, Helena leadership and administrative services throughout the development and commercial life cycle of the product brands.
• Coordinates with formulation department and Helena Industries or other manufacturers to proof formulation concepts and technical viability and conducts costing exercises to ensure financial targets can be attained.
• Coordinates with research and development to develop testing protocols for new and existing product brands to validate commercial viability, establish overall value propositions, and conducts other testing measures as required.
• Develops business plans to gain new products committee approvals to move product development concepts into the next phases of brand planning and commercialization.
• Coordinates with formulation department, registration department, and corporate regulatory to write product brand labels.
• Coordinates with marketing services and registration to establish brand architecture, packaging, and label designs that comply with all state and federal regulations.
• Coordinates and secures manufacturing agreements for supply of raw materials, and actives for product brands while working with the formulation quality assurance team to ensure product quality standards are upheld.
• Develops overall brand marketing plans. This may include market research, situational analysis, target markets, positioning, competitive analysis, market strategy, price to value estimates, and projected strategic value tier fit within associated product brand category.
• Coordinates and directs marketing services on all brand strategy needs. This may include brand descriptions, brand positioning statements, tag lines, features and benefits, brand promise, brand differentiators, brand personality, and the overall brand story.
• Coordinates and collaborates with marketing services and other HPG departments on all brand launch needs. This may include communications plans, collateral, videos, brand support tools, market data, presentations, brand launch meetings plans, and all sales support materials. The main goal is to develop high quality and effective brand launch materials that align correctly with the overall brand strategies.
• Participates as a presenter of the respective brand strategies to the general manager, directors, managers, marketing services and sales teams at internal meetings and conferences.
• Reviews and approves all product brand advertising and promotional messaging to ensure compliance with overall brand strategies and positioning.
• Provides leadership, direction, and product brand training to internal sales teams as requested. This training may include technical product brand features and benefits, brand positioning, and overall value propositions designed to assist the sales team on implementation and execution.
• Participates and collaborates with business unit stakeholders to plan and provide tailored external customer training on the HPG product portfolio for assigned brands as requested.
• Establishes, coordinates, and sets direction on suggested pricing for assigned product brands.
• Monitors and communicates product brand forecasts to suppliers and manufacturers of assigned product brands.
• Leads and participates on special projects and workflow committees as assigned by leader.
• Coordinates to provide the information and data to prepare, update and control forecasts covering projected sales, inventory, investment requirements, etc. related to product brands and services and reports to executive management.
• Establishes and works with administrative operations department to maintain a professional communications tracking system. This system includes contracts, meeting notes and actions plans, and overall status alert reports for monitoring progress.
• Monitors monthly statement of contribution for assigned budget to ensure financial compliance.
• Other work-related duties may be assigned by leader.
• Reliable and regular attendance is expected.

Education and experience needed for this position

• Bachelor's degree in agriculture or related field is required.
• A minimum of five years of sales or marketing experience in the agriculture industry with an in-depth understanding of crop production and protection industry and the products used today is preferred.

Other skills that will help you succeed

• Ability to travel up to 25 percent is required.
• Driven and passionate in approach to business and product development and brand marketing.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite.
• Written and verbal communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Negotiation skills.
• Ability to coordinate a high level of activity under a variety of conditions and restraints is required.
• Demonstrates attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.

Your work environment and the physical aspects of the job

At Helena, safety is our highest priority. We seek out extensive safety measures and put them in place to minimize exposure to anything that could be potentially harmful to our employees.

The work environment for this position may require the employee to work in an outdoor setting in all types of weather conditions with exposure to outdoor elements. When working outdoors and possibly around moving equipment/mechanical parts, the employee may be exposed to fumes, airborne particles, chemical and biological hazards, vibrations and a risk of electrical shock. This position requires you to use your hands for many different tasks and to talk, hear, walk, stand and sit. You may be occasionally required to lift or move up to 50 pounds.

Who we are

Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC is one of the nation's foremost agronomy solutions providers. We rank near the top nationally in volume and sales for crop production products, fertilizer, custom application, seed and precision agriculture, turf management, industrial weed control, forestry, aquatics and more. As a solutions provider, we help our customers make critical decisions about soil variability, nutrient and water availability, seed selection and pest management. We take pride in working with our growers beyond the sale, helping them in every aspect of their business.

Helena operates under several main business groups -- Helena Products Group, AGRIntelligence, Helena Industries, LLC and Diversified Applications, Inc.

Helena is a special place to be

At Helena, we are family. Our employees take care of each other and support each other at work and in their personal life. Our family-like atmosphere creates a positive work environment that allows our employees to be high-performers because they feel comfort and compassion from their leader and team. Our family-like culture is centered on our successful business model -"People...Products...Knowledge." "People" being the first for good reason. When our employees are treated right and feel cared for, our customers thrive and our business grows.

Helena's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At Helena, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment where all our employees feel safe, valued and have the opportunity to succeed. We embrace different backgrounds and human experiences because our customers are also diverse. When we all show deep appreciation for each other and our customers it builds trust that strengthens Helena and keeps us competitive.

Helena supports individuals with disabilities and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform job responsibilities.

Stay connected to Helena

For the latest job postings and company news, visit us at https://helenaagri.com/careers.

Helena is an equal opportunity employer.