Assistant Brand Manager - Incubator Brands

About the role

Kinisla is hiring an Assistant Brand Manager to support its GB and international incubator brand agenda. This position sits within a newly evolving business chapter following the relaunch from Kerry Dairy Ireland to Kinisla, with a strong focus on building future-ready dairy brands that respond to changing consumer expectations.

The role will partner closely with the Senior Brand Manager for Incubator Brands and will contribute to the growth of promising brands, starting with the new start-up brand Smug Dairy. It offers wide exposure across brand planning, innovation, commercial delivery, and marketing activation, while working with cross-functional teams to deliver growth projects, improve retailer engagement, bring new concepts to market, and maintain strong execution across consumer touchpoints.

You will operate in a dynamic, entrepreneurial setting where you can take ownership, strengthen your commercial and marketing skills, and make a visible contribution to emerging brand growth. This is a hybrid position with two office days each week in Staines-upon-Thames on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it also involves occasional travel to partners in London and Kinisla sites across Ireland and the UK.

About Kinisla

Kinisla is an integrated farm-to-fork food business with a major consumer foods footprint and a strong dairy and nutrition ingredients division. The company focuses on sustainable, innovative dairy solutions and works closely with local family farms to deliver high-quality products across its value chain.

With more than 50 years of experience in milk processing, dairy technology, nutrition innovation, and product development, Kinisla holds a significant position in the global food sector. Its brand portfolio includes Cheestrings, Charleville and Coleraine Cheese, Dairygold, Golden Cow, and the new SMUG range. Its farm-to-food culture and relationships with 2,800 milk suppliers are central to how the business differentiates itself and serves customers and consumers.

The company sources milk from some of the world’s richest grazing land through Irish family farms known for a very low carbon footprint. Guided by expertise, innovation, and sustainability, Kinisla aims to shape the future of dairy while meeting the needs of farmers, customers, and communities.

Headquartered in Tralee, County Kerry, Kinisla operates manufacturing sites in Listowel, Charleville, Newmarket, and Farranfore, along with 29 Farm & Home stores across the region. Its presence also extends to Portadown, Coleraine, and Ossett in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Across Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and China, the business employs more than 1,600 people. In 2024, Kinisla recorded turnover of about €1.3 billion.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Senior Brand Manager to help shape and deliver brand strategies and annual brand plans.
• Contribute to marketing campaigns, activation plans, and brand-led initiatives across multiple channels.
• Help coordinate cross-functional workstreams with Commercial, R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, and external agencies.
• Support retailer presentations and customer conversations by preparing persuasive sell-in materials, relevant insights, and strong commercial narratives.
• Track market, category, and competitor trends, then turn observations into practical recommendations.
• Review brand and campaign performance, as well as commercial outcomes, and help convert data into actions.
• Assist with innovation work from early concept stage through launch and post-launch review.
• Handle day-to-day agency coordination to keep delivery on schedule and within budget.
• Oversee the development and approval of marketing assets so all consumer-facing materials stay consistent and high quality.
• Support budget monitoring, purchase order processing, and wider marketing administration tasks.

Requirements

• Background in marketing, brand management, or category management, preferably within FMCG.
• Strong planning and project coordination ability, with confidence managing several priorities at once.
• Commercial interest and curiosity about how brands contribute to business growth.
• Good analytical capability and the ability to turn data into useful insight.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with effective stakeholder management.
• Proactive, ownership-driven approach with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Creative thinking and enthusiasm for building brands that consumers connect with.
• Ability to stay effective in a fast-changing environment and adapt when needed.
• Eagerness to learn, develop, and grow within a high-energy business.

Perks and benefits

• 25 days of annual leave, not including bank holidays.
• Health care cover.
• Matched pension scheme.
• Employee benefits platform with discounts and cashback at major retailers.

Additional information

Kinisla emphasises teamwork, curiosity, and a willingness to make a meaningful difference in food and nutrition. The company describes itself as a community of innovators working across disciplines to help address global food challenges in a fresh and practical way.

The organisation promotes an inclusive culture where people from different backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and experiences are welcomed and valued. Recruitment decisions are made based on the skills and competencies required for the role and on merit. Kinisla states that it does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, political beliefs, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected characteristic.

Please note that Kinisla does not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies unless formal terms of business have been signed. The company also will not agree to pay recruiter fees in those circumstances, and the same applies to CVs or profiles sent directly to any Kinisla hiring manager.