Creative Associate Jobs in Toronto, ON (NOW HIRING)

Cronos is an innovative global cannabinoid company committed to building disruptive intellectual property by advancing cannabis research, technology, and product development. With a passion to responsibly elevate the consumer experience, Cronos is building an iconic brand portfolio. Cronos’ diverse international brand portfolio includes Spinach®, PEACE NATURALS® and Lord Jones®. For more information about Cronos and its brands, please visit: https://thecronosgroup.com/. 

At Cronos Group, we hire talented people who thrive on solving difficult problems and give them the opportunity to hone new skills and approaches. If you want to play a part in shaping an innovative industry and help build a historically significant company, we want to meet you.

If you are passionate about building brands, thrive in a fast-paced business environment and motivated to drive growth, then this is the job for you!

As the Associate Brand Manager, you will have the opportunity to ignite growth in an entrepreneurial culture that values ingenuity and emboldens you with the autonomy to make it happen. You will be responsible for shaping the future of market-leading cannabis brands by developing compelling brand strategies, high impact marketing communications and portfolios strategies to delight the consumer. You will work within a close-knit and diverse team of cross-functional partners including Design, Sales, R&D, Procurement, Legal, Finance and Regulatory. The ideal candidate must be motivated, dynamic, collaborative, and manage multiple deadlines with competing priorities.

This role is currently remote.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead the commercialization and launch of new product innovations. This includes developing detailed market and category assessments, product recommendations rooted in consumer insights and market data, business cases and stage gate ownership,  cross-functional team leadership of the product execution from inception through launch
• Head up the execution of integrated marketing communications with a focus on in-store marketing, social and digital media  to both drive trial of new products, and build long lasting brand equity and awareness. Includes through the early briefing through to go live execution, working collaboratively with internal Creative team, and creative/media partners and vendors, as well as close collaboration with regulatory and legal departments.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of competitors, category, and consumers to garner insights, inform go-to-market plans, inform portfolio and assortment strategy including all 4Ps, and provide rationale for strategic marketing initiatives.
• Continually stay on top of relevant category and marketing trends to inform marketing, portfolio, and business strategy.
• Working closely with Finance and Accounts Payable, support management of the brand marketing budget, including reconciliation, reporting, and forecasting
• Champion portfolio pricing recommendations that consider both the current and future dynamics of the market.  Prepare strategic presentations to gain leadership alignment
• Collaborate cross-functionally and with retail partners to effectively execute commercial plans and to develop programs for key customers, including developing marketing materials such as sell-in presentations, point-of-sale, online resources, and training materials
• Support the development of the annual Brand Plan through rigorous analysis of business performance and the development of key insights and recommendations
• Manage complex cross-functional projects effectively while working in a daring and passionate environment with little supervision
• Identify gaps in business processes and lead new process development to drive efficiency and create capacity.
• Assess and activate against market opportunities such as new products, categories, or customer opportunities, while considering product, price, placement, and promotions

You’ll need to have:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Marketing or related subject matter. Advanced degree is a plus
• 3 – 5 years’ relevant experience in marketing, product innovation and/or brand communications preferably in Consumer Packaged Goods
• Exceptional project management abilities; capable of prioritizing and handling multiple projects under tight time constraints.
• Excellent analytical skills, synthesize data and insights into simple and clear action plans and recommendations
• Manage multiple stakeholders effectively while working with little supervision
• Think out-of-the box and steer creative solutions
• Demonstrated experience with understanding and interpreting financials and managing budgets
• Proven experience managing 3rd party agencies such as events, print, digital, and loyalty
• Experience collaborating with Research and Development, Consumer Insights, Regulatory Affairs, Operations and Sales to get new ideas to market as quickly and effectively as possible
• Has been successful with negotiation and offering diplomatic strategies on an enterprise level to get new and exciting ideas / products to market