Marketing Director Dog & Cat Nutrition

About the company and the role

Spectrum Brands Benelux is a leading consumer goods business operating across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, representing a portfolio of well-known brands in home appliances, personal care, and pet care. The company markets and distributes internationally recognized brands such as Remington, Russell Hobbs, Tetra, IAMS, Eukanuba, FURminator, and 8in1, serving both retail and e-commerce channels throughout the region. As part of the global Spectrum Brands organization, the Benelux business focuses on driving category growth through innovation, strong customer partnerships, and consumer-focused brand development across multiple product categories.

This position is responsible to build and profitably manage the Dog & Cat Nutrition (Main Meal) business category in EMEA. Together with Marketing peers, local Sales & Marketing organizations, the incumbent is responsible for developing & implementing marketing strategies and programs that will establish and grow the Dog & Cat Nutrition (DCN) business across the EMEA region.

The Director Marketing DCN leads development of dry, wet (& other) foods for dogs & cats; this includes marketing strategies, programs and initiatives in cooperation with local EMEA Trade Marketing based on the company & category goals. The Director Marketing DCN leads the product portfolio in EMEA and ensures that quality, positioning and brand design are aligned across the region. The incumbent especially exchanges information and practices with cross functional teams such as R&D, Sourcing, & Operations to ensure that synergies are realized where possible. The incumbent guides and leads her/his team, promoting new product development as needed in alignment with the EMEA DCN strategy.

Leadership Tasks - Servant Leadership:

· Leads employees in accordance with Servant Leadership Principle (trust, accountability and collaboration) and exemplifies the SPB company values and guidelines.

· Appoints employees according to their qualifications and achieves team goals through coordination, motivation and active involvement.

· In coordination with Line Manager, conducts regular employee assessments, using the principles of performance and talent reviews according to objective and fair standards and provides performance and behavior-related feedback through recognition or constructive criticism.

· Represents company and strategic decisions in a motivating manner to employees, informs them regularly about current developments, and fosters identification and engagement with the company.

· Organizes and documents training and additional education of employees by taking individual development goals into account and consulting with Human Resources.

Values & Behaviours:

Speak Up: Step up to address difficult issues; have the courage to say what needs to be said.

Be Accountable: Hold yourself and others accountable to meet commitments.

Take Action: Take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy and enthusiasm.

Grow Talent: Develop people (yourself and others) to meet both individual career goals and organization's objectives.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Category Strategy and Portfolio

o Analyze market and category trends with local teams to size growth and pipeline.

o Set DCN brand strategies and priorities with the Senior Director Marketing & Innovation GPC.

o Build business cases for new products and major relaunches.

o Define product positioning, claims, and packaging to ensure clear differentiation.

o Recommend pricing strategy.

Innovation and Lifecycle Management

o Lead all DCN NPD and EPD projects with R&D, Regulatory, Sourcing, and PMO.

o Own the NPD/EPD process design, review, and optimization.

o Identify and drive profitability improvement projects across the range.

o Support joint ventures, partnerships, and acquisitions impacting Aquatics.

Market Planning and Activation

o Guide markets on Annual Strategic and Operating Plans.

o Align with Communications, Digital, and Trade Marketing on brand and product execution.

o Share guidance and best practices with local and global Sales and Marketing teams.

o Conduct field trips to key markets to gather input and validate plans.

o Organize and lead International Marketing Meetings.

Team Leadership and Performance Management

o Lead the DCN marketing team in line with company principles.

o Set clear goals, coordinate work, and motivate to deliver outcomes.

o Run performance appraisals on time in Workday with objective feedback.

o Provide regular business updates and strategic direction.

o Plan and deliver training and development with HR.

Budget, Research, and Performance Tracking

o Own DCN A+P and research budgets. Allocate to priorities and control spend.

o Commission and manage market research to inform decisions.

o Track category performance against plan and trigger contingencies as needed.

o Report progress, risks, and corrective actions to senior leadership.

Key External Connections:

· Creative / Digital External Agencies

· Freelance Developmers

· Technical Agency Partners

· Digital Research agencies

Key Internal Connections:

· Product Marketing

· Brand Experience Managers

· R&D, Legal and PMO

· Local Trade Marketing
 

Qualification & Experience:

· Bachelor's degree in Digital Marketing, PR, marketing, business, or related field (MBA preferred)

· Minimum of 8-10 years marketing experience with emphasis on product and brand management

Required Knowledge & Skills:

· Understanding of international business management and knowledge of consumer behavior

· Fluent in English; German other foreign language knowledge an asset

· strong project management skills

· Experience in new product development with R&D

· Strong consumer orientation

· Solid understanding of trade channels

· Strong communication skills

· Experience in working with diverse cultures

· Leadership experience an asset

· Experience in pet industry an asset