The Associate Brand Manager - SmartBones/DreamBone

The Pet Care business unit of Spectrum Brands is based in St. Louis, Missouri with distribution, manufacturing and sales offices throughout the US and globe. Owners of dogs, cats, birds, small animals, fish and reptiles rely on our brands for exceptional value and trusted results. Our industry-leading brands include Tetra, Instant Ocean, Marineland, 8-in-1, Dingo, FURminator, Nature's Miracle, GloFish, DreamBone and SmartBones.

The Associate Brand Manager - SmartBones/DreamBone plays a critical role in driving growth, innovation, and strong commercial execution across the rawhide alternative portfolio. This role leads the day-to-day management of SmartBones while supporting key DreamBone growth and innovation initiatives. The position supports the development and execution of annual brand plans, manages multiple fast-moving priorities, and partners cross-functionally to turn strategy into action with speed, accountability, and a strong sense of ownership.

Brand Planning & Execution

• Support the annual brand planning process, establishing strategic priorities, commercial objectives, and high-growth KPIs for the SmartBones brand and the broader rawhide alternative portfolio.
• Collaborate with Sales, Finance, and Operations to align customer opportunities, distribution priorities, and launch strategies
• Partner with Brand Activation to create dynamic DCX briefs for eCommerce assets that drive trial, brand awareness, and digital conversion.
  
  

Portfolio & Product Management

• Assist in lifecycle management, including SKU rationalization and performance tracking to reduce complexity and protect margin.
• Partner with R&D, Packaging, and Supply Chain to deliver cost-optimized products on time and within budget.
• Support pack architecture and pricing initiatives that drive operational efficiency.
• Ensure alignment with regulatory, tariff, etc. requirements through diligent cross-functional collaboration.
  
  

Consumer & Market Insights

• Partner with Insights to translate data (e.g., Nielsen, Numerator) into actionable recommendations.
• Stay ahead of evolving pet trends, ingredient innovations, and consumer health preferences to identify emerging whitespace opportunities in the alternative rawhide category.
• Support consumer testing and research projects.
  
  

Project & Budget Management

• Support budget tracking, vendor management, and reporting to ensure efficient use of resources.

Commercial Strategy & Retail Execution

• Support implementation of pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies to maximize profitability.
• Ensure excellence in in-store and online retail execution, maintaining brand and message consistency across channels.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  Work closely with Sales, Trade Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
• Develop retailer-specific materials and support sell-in for key initiatives.
• Ensure brand consistency across all consumer touchpoints.

Financial

• Contribute to achieving a healthy brand P&L across revenue, gross margin, and contribution margin metrics.
• Analyze performance and recommend actions to drive profitable growth across SmartBones and assigned DreamBone initiatives.
  
  

• Bachelors degree or relevant years of experience
• 5+ years of brand or product management experience (CPG or related industry preferred).

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and complex project timelines.
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI, Numerator).
• Solid financial and business acumen with an understanding of pricing, margin, and SKU management.
• Excellent communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with project management tools a plus. f
• A passion for pets and curiosity about mature-category brand stewardship.

This is a hybrid role. In office Tuesday through Thursday.

Working conditions are normal for an office environment.

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job/classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

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