JOB TITLE:                 Brand Manager, Kerrygold Ireland (Interim)

REPORTS TO:            Marketing Director, Foods Europe

LOCATION:                Dublin, Ireland

   CONTRACT TERM:   12-month fixed-term contract

 

 

Company Background

 

 

Ornua is an Irish dairy co-operative that markets and sells dairy products on behalf of its Members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. Ornua is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products and has annualised sales of €3.4 billion. Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has a strong global team of 2,900 employees, operating from 10 business units worldwide, including 13 production facilities. Ornua’s core purpose is to build profitable routes to market for Irish dairy products.

 

The Group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients. Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands, including Ireland’s most successful food export, Kerrygold, as well as Kerrygold Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Forto and BEO milk powders.

 

Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, for the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers across the world, and for managing volatility through de-risking and trading strategies.

 

Ornua’s Values

 

At Ornua, our Values lie at the core of everything that we do and how we behave both individually and as a business. Our five values, and their underlying behaviours, encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care and Achieve Great Things Together.

 

Ornua’s Growth

 

At Ornua, our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business. We care passionately about driving sustainable, profitable growth, underpinned by our ambitious ‘Path to Prosper’ strategy. We have delivered significant growth in our core business, and we have ambitious plans for continued growth over the next five years.

WHY THIS ROLE IS VALUABLE

Role Summary

The Brand Manager, Kerrygold Ireland, is the local brand guardian responsible for translating agreed brand strategy into effective annual plans and best-in-class execution across the Irish market. The role will lead integrated marketing activity, creative development, innovation launches and commercial activation to deliver agreed brand and business objectives.

Working closely with the Senior Brand Manager, Ireland & Europe, and cross-functional partners, the Brand Manager will use consumer, shopper and market insight to strengthen Kerrygold’s relevance, improve marketing effectiveness and identify sustainable growth opportunities in Ireland. This is an interim position offered on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Own the development and delivery of the annual Kerrygold Ireland brand plan, in line with agreed Ireland & Europe strategy, global brand direction and commercial priorities.
• Lead integrated omnichannel campaigns across TV, video, digital, social, media, PR, shopper, events, sponsorships and activation, from briefing through to delivery and evaluation.
• Act as the local brand guardian for Kerrygold in Ireland, ensuring all consumer and customer-facing activity is consistent with brand positioning, visual identity, communications frameworks and global guidelines.
• Partner with the Commercial team and Marketing Executive to develop and execute effective customer and trade marketing plans that support shared brand and business objectives.
• Lead relevant local innovation and renovation launches, working cross-functionally with Innovation, Category, Insights, Technical, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to ensure strong launch planning and execution.
• Use consumer, shopper, category, customer and competitor insight to inform plans, challenge assumptions and translate learning into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Define campaign and activation KPIs, track performance and return on investment, and use post-campaign learning to improve future activity and investment decisions.
• Manage media, creative, PR and activation agency partners, ensuring clear briefs, high-quality output and delivery on time and within budget.
• Manage the Ireland A&P budget with strong financial governance, including accurate forecasting, purchase order discipline, monthly tracking and reconciliation in partnership with Finance.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and provide clear, timely updates on priorities, performance, risks and required decisions.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or a related discipline.
• A minimum of six years’ FMCG/CPG brand marketing experience, gained client-side or agency-side.
• Experience developing and executing insight-led annual brand plans across above-the-line, below-the-line and digital channels.
• Proven experience leading integrated campaigns and creative production across multiple media, including TV/video, OOH, radio, social and digital.
• Strong track record of managing external creative, media, PR and activation agencies to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.
• Experience supporting or leading innovation and NPD launches through cross-functional delivery.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to connect marketing activity and investment to brand and business performance.
• Confidence interpreting consumer, shopper, category and campaign data and translating findings into clear actions.
• Excellent project management, stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• A critical eye, strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain high standards under changing business conditions.
• An interest in food, culture, consumers and emerging media and digital trends.
• Ability to travel in line with business requirements.

ORNUA COMPETENCIES:

• Ownership - Drives results, profitability, and sustainable growth.
• Rigour - For complex challenges or new areas, applies effective professional skill, analysis and decision making, and planning and reviewing.
• Forward Looking - Leads others through change and contributes to competitive challenges and functional strategic plans.
• Communicative – Communicates in an inspirational way.

Closing Date: Tuesday 15 September 2026