About Barilla

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we’ve blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world’s top food company by reputation. With 20 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready-made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job Purpose:

The Associate Director Manager is responsible for developing and executing marketing plans for the brand portfolio in order to meet annual sales, market share and profit goals for US Pasta Category (Blue Box).  This individual maximizes brand positioning, equity and financial well-being for the Blue Box brand.  This position is accountable for developing marketing plans, managing budgets, develops long and short-term strategies, packaging, advertising, and consumer promotions programs that will achieve annual KPIs.

Key Accountabilities:

• Conduct ongoing business analysis to inform product innovation, marketing campaigns and tactics, and overall brand strategy, ensuring alignment with current and future consumer expectations
• Maintain a pulse on market trends and consumer behavior, working with Market Research, to ensure brand stays relevant and ahead of market shifts 
• Develop and implement annual marketing plans that encompass innovation, communication, media and promotional strategies to achieve annual objectives
• Lead the development of 360° campaigns, integrating digital, social, traditional media, PR and in-store execution for maximum impact
• Collaborate with global team (category, CoE) to align local initiatives with global brand positioning, ensuring consistency in message 
• Own local P&L management and annual marketing budgets, in partnership with finance, driving profitable growth optimizing pricing and promo effectiveness
• Develop and track KPIs to measure campaign performance, sales growth, market share, and profitability
• Provide brand outlook for 3-year strategic plan, focusing on meeting market share, profitability, and long-term growth 
• Oversee product lifestyle management, including product launches, SKU rationalization, and product improvement projects
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across sales, finance, R&D, operations, and global counterparts to drive seamless strategy execution
• Lead and mentor team, offering guidance on data-driven storytelling, project management, and brand building skills. 
• Manage agency partners to ensure high-quality creative development, media planning, and promotional strategies that drive growth
• Present performance updates and strategic initiatives to senior leadership, demonstrating executive presence and influence. 
• Ensure alignment between marketing and sales initiatives, fostering a unified approach to achieve business objectives 
• Stay updated on industry trends, tools and tactics to ensure innovative strategies
• Other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs

Desired Skills and Background:

• BS in Business or Marketing; MBA preferred
• Minimum 8-10 years of Brand Management experience in a CPG environment; food industry preferred
• Solid familiarity with marketing management skills, market research methodology and analytical tools for sales and marketing databases
• Excellent presentation and communication skills to influence both internal customers (senior management & cross functional teams) and external marketplace distributors, customers and consumers
• Ability to promote marketing initiatives for the brand and assigned business
• Hands-on marketing experience within the consumer products marketplace
• Knowledge of consumer demographics, consumer purchase decision tree, consumer purchasing habits, segmentation, current trends and need gaps
• Effective project management skills
• Financial acumen including analytical ability
• Fundamental understanding of other functions that impact the business P&L
• Understanding of U.S. retail
• Experience in advertising, consumer promotion and media management
• Proficient in MS Office including Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook
• High degree of personal integrity and work ethic
• Proven success working with cross-functional teams
• Ability to travel up to 15-20% domestically and potentially internationally

As of the date of this posting, the estimated pay range for this role is $165,000-$170,000, plus eligibility to participate in the annual discretionary bonus plan (20% target). The actual pay for the position will be determined by various factors, including but not limited to job-related experience, skills, education, location, and internal equity. This range may be subject to change over time.

Barilla strives to provide you and your family with a wide range of benefit options to support your overall health and financial wellbeing needs. This position does qualify for benefits to include medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, 401(K) plan with company match, life and disability plans, and employee assistance program.

At Barilla, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where diversity in all its forms is valued and embraced. Our employment policies and practices are designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of age, race, color, citizenship, faith, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or characteristics of expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, medical condition, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our commitment to equal employment stems from our unwavering belief that it is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a fundamental driver of innovation and business success.