Marketing Manager - Cooking Aids UKI

Role Title: Marketing Manager, Cooking Aids UKI

Location: Kingston

ABOUT UNILEVER FOODS

Food is hot! What we eat, how we cook and how we are inspired to eat is changing rapidly. Foods Europe is a critical growth engine within Unilever’s Foods Business Group. As a Business Unit we have high ambitions for our 6 BG led markets where we believe in empowering the markets and creating the right ammunition to win the hearts and the minds of our consumers and customers. 

At the heart of Foods Europe is our bold mission to be Food Lovers and Growth Hunters. Foods UKI is a sizeable business, the 5th largest market for Foods globally. Across the world there are 25 top priority cells in Foods, and the UK has 3 of them: Condiments, Mini Meals and Cooking Aids.  The UKI business has an accretive margin and holds either the #1 or #2 share position in our category verticals (Mini Meals #1, Condiments #2, Cooking Aids #2). Our global power brands, Hellmann’s and Knorr, are a priority focus, alongside strong local jewels, such as Pot Noodle, Marmite and Colman’s.

About the Role

In the UK Knorr portfolio heartland lies in Bouillons with some presence in Seasonings and Soups. Knorr is the leading brand in Bouillons and setting the pace.  However, the challenge as for any brand with 180 years history, is how to retain relevance and affinity in an ever-changing world. In the UK more than half of the population identify themselves as contemporary cooks who get inspired by social media rather than grandma’s recipes, cook flexibly rather than following instructions and love to experiment. Food has never been a more challenging and dynamic space to work in than today. To ensure Knorr remains relevant it is imperative that we meet our consumer needs and do this by a greater understanding of their real consumer journeys from the zero moment of truth to the end dish experience.

Since 2024 in the UK we embarked on the transformation journey, having launched a much more relatable to contemporary cooks marketing campaign with our ambassador Fred Sirieix and new exciting flavours of stock pots, like red wine. Beyond shoring up the core, we aim to ensure we are fit to compete in an increasingly competitive environment and working on transforming our portfolio. We are serious about step changing our presence in Seasonings, both in dry and wet formats. In 2025 we launched exciting social first campaigns and new products in this space. We are developing further plans to transform Knorr portfolio and ways we engage with our consumers.

Whilst business focus is largely on Knorr brand, the role remit also includes local jewel brands, such as Colman’s and Bovril that play in meal solutions and bouillons categories respectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

You will be leading UK Cooking Aids team where we have a huge ambition to transform Knorr brand from being known for cubes, pots and packets for traditional dishes, to span across multiple contemporary formats for any cuisine imaginable! This implies future proofing our current offer as well as expanding our portfolio and pivoting the way we communicate with our consumers to make brand relevant for contemporary cooking to unlock further growth. Core objectives of the role will include:

• Leading the BTM – the monthly performance meeting for the vertical

• Responsible for the delivery of short- and long-term performance of Cooking Aids in the UKI.

• Leading the full development & responsibility of Cooking Aids brands including marketing strategies, annual plans and pricing across the portfolio of Cooking Aids.

• Act as the primary UKI interface with the BU EU Cooking Aids platform team, whilst being responsible for ensuring the UKI category strategy and plans are well represented at a platform level.

• Delivery of in-year targets across internal top line USG and bottom line PBO with full P&L accountability, alongside external market share, penetration and brand power growth will be expected (with the ability to make trade-offs as required)

You will be expected to:

• Define and own brand strategy for the Knorr, Colman’s and Bovril brands across UK and Ireland, ensuring relevance to consumers’ needs, as well as the business and local market context (inc. Jobs to be Done & One Plan)

• Generate powerful consumer insights that drive real growth and ensure excellent consumer experience across the full funnel - from awareness to conversion & retention, along end-to-end consumer journeys

• Implement breakthrough data strategies to leverage performance marketing and inform fast, bold decision making

• Accountable for the full Cooking Aids P&L and commercial execution of the in-year plans to achieve our annual performance ambitions in growth and profit delivery. Including S&OP, Fuel for Growth, Pricing strategies etc

• Align category development growth plans with EU Innovation team and own the market execution of NPD (inc. packaging design / communication & business case delivery)

• Be the face of Cooking Aids in front of our external customer partners, in particular our Partners for Growth Tesco and Sainsbury’s

• Ensure all our brands ‘Get on the Front Line’ with purpose-led, meaningful and distinctive communication brought to life through our business, brands and agency partnerships

• Lead a team in the development and deployment of brand communication materials with local & global agencies (inc. Media Planning)

• Work closely with Global & EU platform teams: Be the voice of the UK & Ireland to ensure our consumer insights are considered in Global & regional Cooking Aids plans

• Responsible for the leadership, coaching and development of your immediate brand team & play an active role as part of the senior Foods Marketing team

What you’ll need to succeed

• Prior and recent experience in senior brand management role is an essential prerequisite for this role. Alongside this, ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders, structured and operational grip and influence as working closely with regional and global teams

• Strong strategic thinking and ability to connect insights, category dynamics, customer and consumer needs

• Excellent and proven leadership of people and culture building capabilities

• Passion for high performance and a true talent catalyst

• Key Skills: Brand strategy creation and execution, strong business acumen and performance management, managing senior stakeholders across local, regional and global organisations, experience in creative development and strong understanding of the innovation processes.

CRITICAL BEHAVIOURS

• Cares Deeply – for both their people and the business performance

• 3 Steps Ahead – future focused and able to anticipate competitor moves and have response plans ready to execute

• Focus on What Counts – build and champion Cooking Aids annual plan and chosen priorities to deliver consistent top and bottom-line growth

• Deliver with Excellence – sets high standards and leads team by example in being best in class

• Have the ‘gravitas’ (experience, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills), allowing to interact with senior stakeholders effectively and efficiently across the company

WHAT WE OFFER

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. 

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (unilever.com).