Valvoline Global

Brand Manager -Private Label, Commercial Strategy, and Grease

Lexington, KY (Hybrid)

Salary Not AvailableMid Level4+ years expFull time

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Own multi-channel private label and category leadership across strategy, portfolio, and commercial planning, with a focus on Grease and cross-functional collaboration to hit financial targets.

  • Translate customer needs, category trends, and competitive insights into product recommendations and category storytelling.
  • Develop Grease category strategy, identify assortment and demand opportunities, and drive distribution with Sales.
  • Coach a brand manager and lead cross-functional content to achieve annual targets.

Job Description

  • Serve as the marketing lead for private label and distributor customers, delivering business reviews, line reviews, and strategic recommendations in conjunction with Sales.
  • Serve as the marketing lead for commercial strategy in the specialty automotive channel.
  • Translate customer requirements, category trends, and competitive insights into product recommendations and category storytelling.
  • Contribute to innovation, product and portfolio development, SKU architecture, with the Product Strategy team, leading new items through the stage gate process into commercialization.
  • Analyze and assess the feasibility, attractiveness, and strategic fit of bidding on new private label business opportunities, including competitive benchmarking, capability assessment, and financial implications.
  • Partner with Sales on joint business planning, customer negotiations, and program execution to hit annual financial targets.
  • Partner with Category Management and Analytics, Pricing, and the Trade Marketing team to develop pricing strategies, promotional frameworks, and competitive assessments
  • Develop the annual category strategy for Grease, including portfolio positioning.
  • Analyze category, customer, and marketplace performance trends to identify opportunities for assortment optimization, innovation, and demand creation.
  • Partner with Sales to support customer-specific category presentations, line reviews, and recommendations that drive distribution gains and incremental growth.
  • Bidders: Collaborate with Supply Chain, Product Strategy, and Finance to ensure forecasting accuracy, margin performance, and operational readiness for new or updated Grease SKUs.
  • Manage and develop one Associate Brand Manager leading Gear Oil, and Coolants.
  • Provide coaching and strategic direction to hit annual financial targets.
  • Own additional customer meetings and content development as needed by the business.
  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • 4+ years of experience in brand management, private label marketing, or product marketing.
  • Experience managing private label products—preferably in the automotive aftermarket—or private label experience in any consumer category is highly preferred.
  • People management experience.
  • Strong strategic and commercial thinking.
  • Process and detail-oriented.
  • Experience with pricing and category analysis.
  • Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Excellent communication and project management skills.
  • Bonus: MBA or background in CPG, specialty retail, and distributor channels is preferred.
  • MBA preferred.
  • Background in CPG, specialty retail, and distributor channels is preferred.
  • Health insurance plans (medical, dental, vision)
  • Health Savings Account (with employer-base deposit and match)
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Competitive 401(k) with generous employer base deposit and match
  • Incentive opportunity*
  • Life insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance
  • Paid vacation and holidays*
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Employee discounts
  • *This position offers a full relocation package for non-local candidates.