The opportunity you've been waiting for
Tennent's is one of Scotland's most recognised brands. It sits at the heart of C&C Group's beer portfolio, alongside Menabrea, Heverlee, Drygate and Innis & Gunn. Someone now needs to take that portfolio and decide what it becomes next.
This is the Director of Brand Marketing - Beer role. You'll set the strategy for the beer category across Ireland, the UK and international markets, protect and grow Tennent's as the core of the business, and build the innovation pipeline that carries the premium brands forward. Beer is central to C&C Group's identity. This role decides its direction.
You'll report directly to the Chief Marketing Officer, sit close to the ExCo agenda, and lead a team of Brand and Innovation Managers who need a leader who can coach as well as direct.
How you'll make your mark
You'll own the beer portfolio strategy end-to-end, from the core Tennent's business to the premium and craft brands, and turn that strategy into plans that deliver.
Key deliverables
- Build and lead the beer portfolio strategy across owned and partner brands, in Ireland, the UK and international markets.
- Set the innovation and NPD agenda that drives category growth.
- Own delivery against portfolio KPIs, including budget allocation and management.
- Lead insight and data-led consumer and customer marketing plans, working closely with Channel and Marketing Comms teams.
- Shape brand communication strategy across the portfolio.
- Develop new brand partnerships and manage existing ones.
- Build and develop a high-performing team of Brand and Innovation Managers.
- Manage relationships with external agencies and marketing bodies.
What you bring
- Significant experience in a senior marketing role, with portfolio or brand management of FMCG brands.
- A track record of building consumer marketing strategy and brand portfolios in a complex business environment.
- Commercial fluency, with experience managing a portfolio P&L and an eye on what drives growth.
- Stakeholder management skills that work at every level, from ExCo to agency partner.
- Experience leading people through a complex organisational structure.
- Comfort operating with autonomy and ambiguity.
- Drinks industry experience is a bonus, not a requirement.
What's in it for you
This is a hybrid role based in Scotland, with regular travel to meet the business across its markets.
You'll have a seat close to the CMO and ExCo agenda, real ownership of a portfolio that matters to the business, and a team to shape in your own image. Few marketing roles offer this much scope over a category this central to a company's identity.
A bit more about C&C Group
C&C Group owns a portfolio of drinks brands built around Tennent's, alongside Menabrea, Heverlee, Drygate and Innis & Gunn. The business operates across Ireland, the UK and international markets, with beer as a core part of its growth strategy.
This role exists because the business wants a single, senior owner of the beer category. Someone who can hold the core business steady while building what comes next.
Denholm's take
There aren't many roles where you get to steer a brand as embedded in a country's culture as Tennent's is in Scotland, while also building out a premium portfolio from scratch. That combination, core brand stewardship and genuine innovation licence, is rare.
If you want to talk it through before applying, get in touch for a confidential conversation.
