About the Role
Garner Foods is seeking a dynamic and commercially minded Brand Manager - Foodservice to lead marketing initiatives that drive growth across the Foodservice channel. This role requires a unique combination of Foodservice industry knowledge and marketing expertise, serving as a strategic partner to the Foodservice Sales team while developing programs that generate demand, strengthen customer relationships, and grow the Garner Foods Foodservice business.
The ideal candidate understands the Foodservice ecosystem, including operators, distributors, chains, and non-commercial segments, and can translate customer insights into effective marketing strategies and tactics that deliver measurable business results.
What You'll Do
- Develop and execute marketing strategies that support Foodservice business objectives, increase brand awareness and consideration among operators and distributors, and drive sales growth across key channels.
- Develop and manage programs that generate qualified leads that support new business, including digital campaigns, industry partnerships, events, content marketing, and customer engagement initiatives.
- Help lead planning, execution, and performance measurement of trade shows, customer events, industry conferences, and distributor meetings.
- Serve as the primary Marketing partner to the Foodservice Sales team and support customer presentations, selling stories, promotional programs, customer-specific marketing initiatives, and lead follow-up processes.
- Develop marketing programs tailored to Foodservice customers, including chain accounts, distributors, non-commercial operators, and independent restaurants.
- Partner with Product Development, Operations, and Sales to support Foodservice product launches, line extensions, and packaging initiatives from concept through commercialization.
- Manage relationships with creative and media partners, event vendors, and industry organizations to ensure effective execution of Foodservice marketing programs and events.
- Manage Foodservice marketing budgets and investments to maximize business impact and return on investment.
- Establish and track key performance indicators, including lead generation, event ROI, customer engagement, sales support effectiveness, and overall marketing contribution to business growth.
- Work closely with Sales, Product Development, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and other partners to ensure alignment and successful execution of Foodservice initiatives.
What Success Looks Like
A successful Brand Manager - Foodservice is commercially minded, customer-focused, organized, creative, and accountable. This person understands that Foodservice marketing must connect brand strategy, customer insights, sales enablement, lead generation, event execution, product launch support, and measurable business results.
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field required.
- Proven marketing experience in the food industry required.
- Experience supporting B2B sales organizations and developing lead-generation or demand-creation programs required.
- Strong understanding of Foodservice distribution, operator channels, chain accounts, non-commercial segments, independent restaurant channels, and Foodservice industry dynamics required.
- Experience planning and managing trade shows, customer events, industry conferences, or channel events required.
- Strong project management, organizational, communication, and follow-through skills required.
- Experience working with agency partners, event vendors, creative partners, or media partners required.
- Experience managing marketing budgets, campaign investments, event spending, or program ROI required.
- Ability to translate customer and channel insights into marketing strategies, selling tools, campaigns, and measurable business actions required.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with Sales, Product Development, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and leadership required.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and marketing-related systems, presentation tools, and reporting tools required.
- Ability to travel for customer meetings, trade shows, industry events, distributor meetings, and other business needs as required.
- Experience in Foodservice marketing, channel marketing, B2B food manufacturing, CPG, condiments, sauces, dressings, or related food categories preferred.
- Experience developing sales enablement tools, customer presentations, selling stories, sample programs, product launch materials, or distributor marketing programs preferred.
- Experience with digital marketing, CRM, marketing automation, lead tracking, campaign analytics, or event ROI measurement preferred.
- Experience supporting product launches, line extensions, packaging initiatives, or commercialization activities preferred.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements
- This position primarily works in an office environment and may require travel to customer meetings, trade shows, industry events, distributor meetings, foodservice operations, production areas, warehouse areas, or other business locations.
- The role may require sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, reviewing documents, giving presentations, using computer systems, setting up event materials, and other physical activities associated with marketing, trade shows, customer engagement, and business support. The employee must be able to work at a computer for extended periods of time and occasionally lift or carry marketing materials, event supplies, samples, files, or supplies up to 25 pounds.
Safety & Food Safety Expectations
- All employees are expected to follow company safety, food safety, GMP, PPE, hygiene, housekeeping, and site requirements. The Brand Manager - Foodservice is expected to follow these expectations when entering production, warehouse, laboratory, customer, event, or controlled areas and escalate product, customer, documentation, food safety, quality, or compliance concerns promptly.
Equal Employment Opportunity
TW Garner Food Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.