Associate Director / Head of Arla Brand & Sustainability - Duesseldorf - #2238816

Location

Duesseldorf, DE

As Arla - a European dairy co-operative with over 21,000 employees and almost 8,000 farmers - we stand for a strong community with strong Scandinavian values and strong roots in our local markets. Our co-operative principle allows us to be close to our farmers - the owners of Arla - and motivates us every day to do our best for our farmers, our colleagues, our milk, our consumers and our environment! We are convinced that together we can achieve the best results!

Associate Director / Head of Arla Brand & Sustainability

Düsseldorf

As the local Arla Brand Lead, you will shape the future of our brand by taking end-to-end ownership of strategy, innovation, and team leadership. You’ll develop impactful campaigns, integrate sustainability at the heart of our messaging, and drive business growth through operational excellence. Working closely with both local and global teams, you’ll ensure Arla’s values are reflected in everything we do, inspiring both consumers and colleagues. If you have a passion for building brands with purpose in a dynamic FMCG environment, this is your chance to make a real impact.

How will you make an impact?

• Lead Local Brand Strategy Take end-to-end responsibility for the Arla brand strategy, including P&L, positioning, communication, and budget management, while ensuring alignment with global brand guidelines.
• Develop and Manage Brands Oversee creation and execution of strong campaigns for both the Motherbrand and Subbrands (e.g., Arla Skyr, Arla Bio), collaborating with local and global agencies and managing non-growth brands.
• Integrate Sustainability Initiatives Embed ‘Stronger Planet’ and ‘Stronger People’ initiatives into all brand value propositions and activities.
• Shape Communication & Media Develop and implement local media and communication strategies, with a focus on digital channels and innovative approaches.
• Drive Innovation and Execution Lead local innovation, ensuring effective product launches and close collaboration with global and local teams.
• Ensure Team and Business Growth Manage and develop the local brand team, fostering a growth culture and operational excellence, while driving profitability through pricing, promotions, NRM, demand planning, and customer strategies.
  
  

What will make you successful?

• Strong Educational & Industry Background Completed business studies (ideally with a focus on digital marketing) and several years of professional experience in strategic brand management within the international FMCG sector.
• Creative & Commercial Mindset Ability to push boundaries on brand creatives while demonstrating strong commercial acumen, P&L responsibility, and expertise in brand positioning, communication strategy, and innovation management.
• Modern Leadership & Team Collaboration Proven experience in leading and developing teams within matrix organizations, with a leadership style centered on growth, collaboration, and consumer orientation.
• Digital & Cross-Functional Expertise Experience managing agencies, developing digital communication strategies, and working with cross-functional teams.
• Passion for Purpose Genuine interest in sustainability and health topics, with the ability to translate these values into compelling brand messages.
• Analytical & Interpersonal Skills Strong analytical thinking, entrepreneurial flair, high personal responsibility, and the ability to engage and connect with multiple teams; business fluent in written and spoken German and English.
  
  

What do we offer?

• Work-life balance Time recording with flexible working hours
• Culture Our unique, Scandinavian corporate culture with flat hierarchies and short decision-making paths within our cooperative structure, as well as a high level of appreciation, particularly through our feedback culture and regular 11 meetings
• Further development access to our learning library for online training and participation in targeted training and further education programmes.
• Employee benefits Discounts on our entire product portfolio and access to the Corporate Benefits Programme with attractive discounts for your well-being and budget. We also offer a company pension scheme.
• Sustainability With our sustainability strategy ‘Stronger Planet Stronger People’, we aim to be the most sustainable dairy company in Germany.
• Location Culinary catering in our company restaurant with daily fresh meals - refined with our Arla products and a Starbucks corner. In addition, our office is easily accessible thanks to good transport links with a train station and motorway access and we offer a job ticket and free employee parking.
  
  

Your way to Arla

Please apply via our website stating your desired salary and availability. For further information, please contact Elena Sampalioti, Head of Talent Acquisition, at +49 1714378801.

Equal opportunity

Arla Foods is a company with equal opportunities for everyone regardless of age, race, gender or any other criteria that is not a professional qualification for an open position. Purely for reasons of readability we have chosen to create all our job postings in male format. We explicitly look forward to all applications regardless if the candidate is male, female, diverse and will also exclude any other criteria from our screening process that is not professional qualification.

Agency disclaimer

Arla Foods Deutschland has chosen carefully selected external vendors (“Headhunter”) to work on specific roles and we hold long term working relationship with them. Arla Foods Deutschland is not seeking any new partners until further notice. Therefore we are asking you to refrain from any contact requests by phone, e-mail or in any other way towards any Arla Foods representatives. Please note that all candidate resumes that are send to us without a written and signed search assignment will be deemed made available free of costs.

Shape the Future of Dairy

Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to producing high-quality products while championing sustainability and innovation. We're passionate about people and our planet, striving to unleash the full potential in each of us. Our goal is to make healthy dairy nutrition and good food habits accessible to all. Join us at Arla Foods and become part of a worldwide cooperative dedicated to making a significant impact on the planet and steering the dairy industry towards a sustainable future.

We are devoted to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Diversity and collaboration are key to our success, propelling us to new heights in the dairy industry.

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