Brand Manager

Company Overview:

Safilo Group is the fully integrated Italian eyewear creator and worldwide distributor of quality and trust, leader in the premium sector for sunglasses, optical frames and sports eyewear. Design inspired, and brand driven, Safilo translates extraordinary design into excellent products thanks to superior craftsmanship expertise dating back to 1878.

Our eyewear production philosophy continues to evolve as we merge tradition with industrial design and state-of-the-art technology. The heritage of quality and craftsmanship is our foundation as we continue to reshape and redefine the future of eyewear.

Safilo future is powered by digital solutions, exciting new brand partnerships, and unique business models that exceed the expectations of our consumers and make Safilo the preferred partner to do business with.

Who You Are:

You are energetic, organized, collaborative, flexible and results driven. You are both analytical and creative. You flourish in a fast-paced culture, are inquisitive, and have the dedication to succeed. You have an interest in fashion, products, and trends and collaborating with some amazing brands!

What You’ll Do:

The Brand Manager will be a critical member of the high energy, dynamic Brand Management team. You will be a brand and product leader within the organization, responsible for driving business results to assigned licensed brand(s). You will be responsible for the development and delivery of a fully integrated product, marketing and business strategy and liaise with the assigned brand licensor team.

Essential Job Duties

Product Development:

• For each release, drives the new collection development from briefing process to Licensor’s approval; provide Design with information regarding relevant collection structure, positioning, and commercial performance to ensure achievement of profitability targets and maximize business opportunities.

• With Category Management, develop merchandising plans that align with brand strategy. Attend all design meetings.
• Be the brand expert in all channels of business. Shop market on a regular basis; understand trends and create competitive analyses to identify new opportunities.

Brand Management:

• Acts as day-to-day contact with Licensor; builds and maintains effective strong partnership with licensor.
• Participates in the Licensed Brands Annual Business Strategy Plan, proactively contributing to the brands development on mid and long-term basis.
• Supports Senior Brand Manager and Global Licensed Brands Leader in the negotiation or re-negotiation of the license agreements.

Marketing:

• Work with licensor to identify key seasonal products for global marketing efforts.
• Works with licensor and internal cross functional partners to build robust 360 annual marketing plans including Sales, PR and Trade Marketing.
• Ensures proper management of brand budget.

Business Management, Sales and Distribution:

• Own reporting & hindsight recaps of brand(s) on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
• Attends market appointments and have regular communication with licensee to discuss sales performance, marketing and distribution opportunities.
• Oversees brand(s) performance and profitability progress, adapting and identifying, in agreement with Commercial Team, appropriate actions to ensure profitability and commercial targets.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree; MBA a plus.
• 8 plus years of experience in Licensing, Marketing, Merchandising, or Brand/Category Management.
• Eyewear sector experience preferred; will consider relatable industry experience as well.
• Ability to take initiative, ownership, and accountability for business.
• Strong presentation and communication skills. Collaborative, flexible work style.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Ability to interact with all levels of management – internal and external.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced environment and ability to prioritize projects.
• Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint proficiency

Safilo is committed to building a diverse workforce. We believe diversity in all its forms – gender, age, nationality, culture, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation – enriches the workplace and opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to adapt to a changing world. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their background.