Marketing Manager at BIC Nigeria


BIC Nigeria

BICĀ® products are known and appreciated all over the world for their quality, their affordability and ease of use. The ballpoint pen, the pocket lighter, the one-piece shaver are all part of the daily lives of millions of consumers. These products make BICĀ® one of the best known international brands, present in 3.2 million retail outlets, in more than 160 countries. As we explore the tremendous opportunities ahead, we have a need for dedicated and dynamic employees to help build our team.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Marketing Manager

Location: Lagos
Department: Marketing and Product Management

Job Summary

  • The Manager Marketing Nigeria oversees and holds ultimate responsibility for the development and deployment of a fully integrated Marketing Strategy in the country.
  • He/She manages the Human Expression (Stationery), Flame for Life (Lighters) and Blade Excellence (Shavers) categories in their entirety within the Nigerian market.
  • Working closely with the General Manager Nigeria, the Manager Marketing MENAWACA, and the local Marketing teams, he/she effectively orchestrates all Marketing efforts. This includes shaping and implementing brand strategy; understand the market and consumers, engage the consumers and customers, design a strategy on product offering and positioning on both BIC and Lucky Stationeryā€¦ creating demand for BIC products all within a budget, and with close follow-up of Marketing-relevant KPIs.
  • The Manager Marketing Nigeria will also have to work closely with Sales, Finance and Supply & Deliver teams to achieve Business Objectives and help LSNL entity create consumers connections: bring simplicity and joy to everyday life!

Main Responsibilities / Tasks

  • Manages a winning Brand Portfolio, covering all channels and delivering Revenue Growth Management KPIs.
  • Develops an in-depth understanding of the Nigerian market, BIC categories, consumers, and their expectations.
  • Develops comprehensive Marketing Plans and Strategies for the Nigerian market and oversees their implementation in the 3 categories BIC operates in, Human Expression, Flame for Life and Blade Excellence.
  • Works closely with MENAWACA Marketing HQ to develop a strategy that is synergized to MEA and the Group priorities and representative of the Nigerian market.
  • Builds a Lucky Stationery / BIC dual brand strategy.
  • Helps define Lucky Stationery Brand Vision, Brand Strategy, and the main growth drivers and shapes the Innovation Brand Pipeline with a long-term vision and consumer-centric mindset.
  • Develops new packaging for the new Lucky Stationery products as and when applicable.
  • In co-ordination with MENAWACA and MEA Marketing Managers, leads the CMI (Consumer & Market Understanding) and detects insights and new brand opportunities taking into consideration the business needs and the Categories development.
  • Defines the Brand Communication (ATL & BTL) and Digital Strategy in collaboration with external partners / agencies to build brand equity and boost brand awareness on both new and existing products in the 3 categories.
  • Defines Trade Marketing Priorities and Promotional Calendar (Initiative Master Plans) in collaboration with the Trade Marketing and Sales Teams.
  • Coordinates marketing efforts and cost-effective strategies to ensure that marketing spend is within budget, and that all marketing plans are executed on time. Closely supervises budget to support financial objectives for BIC in Nigeria.
  • Coordinates Marketing Strategies with cross functional teams (Sales, Finance, Supply & Delivery, Communicationā€¦) as well as the MENAWACA & MEA Marketing Managers.
  • Plays a leadership role in talent management (2 direct reports for now); develops the Marketing team capabilities and leads them in their value-creation journey through implementing plans that maximize sales, profit, and growth.

Key Performance Indicators

  • Achievement of Stationery, Lighters and Shavers Net Sales and GP%; Growth vs. RF01.
  • Volume and Value Market Share growth.
  • Successful and timely implementation of the Marketing Plans by category.
  • Results and ROI of key ATL (including Digital) & BTL Marketing initiatives (measured against expected results).
  • CMI (Consumer & Market Understanding) deployment and ROI.
  • P&L Responsibility ā€“ Brand Support budget management, Managing spend in-line with budget.
  • Marketing Team Capabilities building.
  • Effective Cross-functional collaboration with key functions to ensure delivery of objectives.

Requirements (R = Required – D = Desired)
Simple Criteria:

  • R – 8+ years of Marketing experience in FMCG company as Marketing Manager /Director or Group Product Manager
  • R – Marketing Degree / Diploma or equivalent – BAC+5, advanced degree preferred.
  • R – Speaks fluent English.
  • D – Speaks other Nigerian Spoken languages.
  • D – Some customer-facing experience would be beneficial.
  • R – Proficient in the use of MS Office including intermediate/advanced Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • R – Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • R – Cross-Cultural team management experience
  • R – Management of external agencies (creative, media, research agencies)

Complex Criteria:

  • Professional skills: thorough knowledge of marketing technical skills (business strategy / steering, consumer understanding & research, positioning, product offering, innovation & roll-out, communication, packaging design, price, promotion, distribution & tradeā€¦)

R- Business Strategy: Optimizing brand / category / product performance:

  • Anticipates developments in the marketplace to detect strategic opportunities for Lucky Stationery and the BIC brand in each of their respective categories.
  • Develops a mid / long-term vision and rallies the various stakeholders (local & regional teams, agenciesā€¦)
  • Develops Marketing Plans from scratch, with confidence and competence in presenting them both internally and externally (Leadership team, Sales teams, key customersā€¦)
  • Works with the finance team to optimize the P&L and Revenue Growth Management KPIs

R – Consumer understanding & Research: Developing consumer understanding & integrating it in Marketing projects:

  • Proactively advises on appropriate market studies and methodologies to meet the business needs/issues/ priorities.
  • Optimizes the partnership with the providers when studies are completed locally (quality, costā€¦)
  • Understands and interprets market data (ACNielsen, EPOSā€¦). Analytical, numbers focused and detail driven.
  • Enriches insight generation by integrating emerging trends and a cross-category approach. Detect and leverage consumers / influencers insights.
  • Ensures proper application of knowledge from research by the teams.

R – Positioning: Defining the brand/range/product positioning and bringing it to life:

  • Sets priorities to strengthen Lucky Stationery and the BIC brand positioning.
  • Designs & implements appropriate brand actions matching the positioning in Nigeria.

R – Product offering / Innovation: Managing and optimizing the portfolio as well as initiating and steering innovation and roll-out projects:

  • Considers the wider picture and state strategic orientations and priorities in terms of range for Lucky Stationery and BIC brandsā€™ portfolio. This includes innovation & roll-out projects based on corporate and brand strategy.
  • Completes the process of value analysis.
  • Contributes to the evolution of the innovation process to maximize the NPIs success and the time to market.
  • Defines launch plans, identifies risks and opportunities, and prioritizes / challenges the allocation of budget for launches.

R – Communication:

  • Building the communication strategy with an integrated approach
  • Develops strong and enduring brand communication strategies and platforms.
  • Steers/participates in brand communication platform developments.
  • Optimizes the partnership with agencies (evaluation, remuneration, motivation)
  • Steering the creative development process with an integrated approach
  • Defines clear and incisive briefs to get the best from agencies (including budgets).
  • Co-designs local communication ideas with agencies.
  • Strategically evaluates creatives. Challenges for stronger creative work.
  • Developing steering media / digital plans
  • Proactively develops a vision of the media / digital scene.
  • Reviews the overall performance of plans and ensures their optimization.

R – Packaging (mostly Lucky Stationery):Developing / optimizing packaging design & piloting packaging projects:

  • Questions packaging design and brand architecture in relation to the brand strategy
  • Contribute to major projects such as ā€œbrand identity guidelinesā€ and brand architecture projects.
  • Optimizes partnership with packaging agencies (timings, quality, motivation, costā€¦)
  • Develops briefs and creative proposals.

R – Price: Develops the pricing strategy:

  • Works with Nigeria General Manager, Sales, and Finance teams to create an overall price strategy for the region.
  • Integrates the impact of market, competitive and industry changes.
  • Assesses potential corrective pricing actions.

R – Promotion: Leading the promotional approach:

  • Along with the Trade Marketing team, develops the promotional approach / Initiative Master Plan per category and channel.
  • Identifies new / creative promotional tools and encourages teams to integrate them.

R – Distribution / Trade: Integrating the point of sale and trade dimensions in marketing actions:

  • Understands the Go to Market Strategy and all trade channels.Ā Ā Ā Ā 
  • With Nigeria General Manager and Sales manager, builds trade approaches and seizes new distribution opportunities that are consistent with the brand strategies per category.
  • Challenges the commercial proposals to maximize point-of-sale dimension.

Personal Skills:
R – Takes Ownership:

  • A self-starter and doer / finisher, working under own initiative and with full autonomy.
  • Sense of initiative, tenacity, and self-motivation
  • Ability to prioritize, take calculated risks and to perform under pressure.

R – Delivers Results:

  • Rigor and high drive for results, with strong ability to make data-informed decisions.
  • Committed and able to deliver while fully respecting corporate processes and applying the appropriate level of reporting to management.
  • Able to manages projects across multicultural environments and functions.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills.

R – Champions Change:

  • Takes on challenges even when dealing with ambiguity.
  • Innovates and embraces transformation (i.e Marketing technology)
  • Makes timely decisions, multi-task and consistently meets deadlines as per expectations.

R – Creates Team Success:

  • Situational leader who can handle a diverse team (functions and seniority levels) and empowering them to grow and be responsible for their own work.
  • Promotes teamwork and inclusion within a multi-functional team, holds excellent interpersonal skills and strong ability to engage and influence others
  • Be the humble marketing expert, respecting othersā€™ point of view and managing diversity regarding different cultures, management styles.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online