Brand Manager

Brand Manager at Talent Forte

Quick facts:

• £45,000-£63,000 + up to 15% bonus
• Maidenhead area
• Hybrid: 3 days in office

Qualifying questions:

• Are you an FMCG Brand Manager with end-to-end ownership of a brand?
• Do you bring strong commercial judgement and understand how brand decisions impact the P&L?
• Are you comfortable operating autonomously without line management?

The Opportunity

This Brand Manager role at Talent Forte is for a commercially grounded professional who wants genuine ownership. You will be responsible for a UK-focused brand, acting as the single point of accountability for its performance, execution, and decision-making.

This is not a passive brand stewardship role. It suits someone who understands how brands win in the market and who is comfortable balancing brand ambition with commercial reality. You'll work in a fast-paced FMCG environment where clarity of thinking, pace, and ownership matter more than process.

What the role involves

You will lead brand strategy and delivery for the local market, translating commercial objectives into clear brand plans and executable activity. This includes owning the marketing mix, shaping campaigns, managing agencies, and ensuring activity delivers against both brand and commercial outcomes.

You'll work closely with sales, commercial, and finance partners, contributing to forecasting, planning, and performance discussions. You will be expected to understand the P&L dynamics behind your brand and to make informed recommendations on pricing, investment, and prioritisation.

You'll manage budgets, track performance, and use insight to refine plans, making pragmatic decisions where trade-offs are required. This is a hands-on role with real accountability - you are expected to form views, challenge constructively, and deliver outcomes.

The scope is UK-focused. There is no global stakeholder management and no line management responsibility.

Who does this role suit

You thrive in environments that value ownership and accountability. You're comfortable with ambiguity, confident in your judgement, and able to operate at pace. You don't rely on large teams or heavy processes to be effective.

You are commercially credible and can hold your own with sales and finance colleagues. You understand what moves the needle and are prepared to prioritise, make calls, and stand behind decisions.

Essential experience

• Proven Brand Manager experience within FMCG
• End-to-end ownership of brand planning and execution
• Strong commercial acumen, with a clear understanding of how brand decisions impact revenue, margin, and investment
• Exposure to P&L thinking, forecasting, or commercial planning (direct or indirect)
• Experience working closely with sales, commercial, and finance teams
• Ability to operate autonomously in a local market role

Desirable experience

• UK market experience
• Experience in a highly competitive branded consumer category
• Track record of making prioritisation decisions in resource-constrained environments
• Exposure to customer-facing or trade-led brand activity

What's on offer

• A clearly defined role with genuine accountability
• Autonomy to shape and deliver brand plans
• Hybrid working with regular in-office collaboration
• Close exposure to commercial decision-making and senior stakeholders

If you're looking for a Brand Manager role where commercial thinking genuinely matters and where you own the outcome, this is worth exploring.

No sponsorship or relocation offered.

Key skills/competency

• Brand Strategy
• FMCG Marketing
• Commercial Acumen
• P&L Management
• Marketing Mix Optimization
• Agency Management
• Budget Management
• Performance Tracking
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Autonomous Operation