What makes this a great opportunity?

-196 is not a brand you manage; it's a brand you build. As a critical growth driver for North America, -196 is rewriting what a Japanese vodka seltzer can be in the US market. Built on proprietary Freeze Crush Infusion technology and a distinct brand world inspired by Japanese culture, -196 is a rare opportunity to lead a high-visibility brand that is still being shaped. You will not be handed a playbook. You will be expected to write one.

Role Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Leadership
• Own development and execution of the -196 brand strategy for the US market, including annual planning and three-year growth planning.
• Shape integrated campaign strategies that build brand equity, drive trial, and accelerate velocity in priority markets.
• Write compelling creative briefs that translate brand strategy into clear, actionable direction for agency partners.
• Present brand performance in monthly business reviews, commercial leadership meetings, and global alignment sessions with a clear point of view on what the data means and what should happen next.
• Identify white space, emerging consumer occasions, and channel opportunities, and bring forward recommendations without waiting to be asked.
• Serve as a brand steward for -196, ensuring consistency and integrity across consumer, trade, and internal touchpoints.

Creative Strategy & Campaign Development
• Lead campaign development from strategic brief through creative development, production, and in-market execution across ATL, BTL, digital, social, experiential, and influencer channels.
• Partner with creative, media, PR, and influencer agencies on an ongoing basis, bringing a strong, informed point of view and holding partners to high standards.
• Lead creative feedback sessions with clarity and conviction, providing build-focused direction that elevates the work rather than simply critiquing it.
• Ensure brand communications, assets, and programs reflect -196's distinct visual identity, tone of voice, and positioning.
• Lead the creative launch strategy for 2027 innovation in partnership with the Brand Director and cross-functional teams, bringing new products to life in a way that is on-brand, culturally relevant, and commercially effective.
• Stay close to Gen Z culture, platform trends, and the competitive RTD landscape so the brand is ahead of the market rather than reacting to it.

Commercial & Analytical Acumen
• Support brand P&L management, including budget planning, deployment, and ROI tracking in partnership with finance.
• Analyze Nielsen/Circana consumption data, household penetration, velocity, distribution, and depletion performance, then translate findings into clear strategic recommendations.
• Lead the PDCA process to continuously evaluate what is working, what is not, and what needs to change, bringing a genuine point of view to every performance conversation.
• Partner with commercial marketing and sales leadership to develop trade tools, programming, and field execution plans that drive velocity in priority markets and accounts.

Cross-Functional Engagement
• Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships across insights, commercial marketing, finance, and sales to ensure brand plans are grounded in business reality and executable in market.
• Serve as the day-to-day liaison between global brand teams and the US market, facilitating alignment on strategy, priorities, and execution.
• Represent -196 with distributor partners, key retail accounts, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to agency briefings and reviews in partnership with the Brand Director, bringing a strong point of view on creative, media, and programming work.

Planning & Execution
• Lead brand programming across off-premise, on-premise, and ecommerce channels in partnership with commercial marketing teams.
• Manage brand budget deployment and tracking with rigor, ensuring spend is tied to measurable business outcomes.
• Develop and maintain trade communication materials including sell sheets, educational content, and market toolkits.
• Spend time in market consistently, seeking feedback from field marketing, distributors, and consumers to stay close to execution realities and competitive dynamics.

Qualifications

This role is for someone who makes a path, not someone who needs one. The ideal candidate:
• Has 8 to 10 years of brand marketing experience, with meaningful tenure in RTD, beer, or high-growth beverage alcohol. Strong CPG backgrounds will also be considered if they demonstrate speed and judgment in ambiguous, resource-constrained environments.
• Has led creative strategy and campaign development on consumer brands, with the instincts to know what great work looks like and the conviction to push for it.
• Has built brand strategy from scratch on an emerging or challenger brand, not just executed against an established playbook.
• Thrives in ambiguity, takes initiative without waiting for direction, and comes to every conversation with a point of view that can be defended.
• Makes trade-offs, prioritizes clearly, and is comfortable learning fast when something does not work.
• Can drive the consumer narrative in senior leadership settings with data-backed storytelling and strategic conviction.
• Works collaboratively across cross-functional teams and agency partners, contributing to the work rather than simply coordinating it.
• Has strong analytical instincts and can move fluidly between Nielsen data, household panel data, and brand health metrics to tell a coherent business story.
• Brings genuine curiosity about Gen Z culture, Japanese brand positioning, and what it takes to build a challenger brand in a crowded category.
• MBA preferred.
• Willingness to travel 15 to 20% domestically.

The salary range for this role is $165,000 to $180,000 depending on location and experience.

While relocation, immigration, and/or tax compliance support are not guaranteed, we may offer assistance to successful candidates depending on factors such as role requirements in accordance with company guidelines.