Summary
The Hershey Company is hiring an Associate Manager, Customer Marketing, MEA, based in Dubai. The role develops customer and channel marketing strategies and leads programs covering merchandising, promotions, pricing, seasonal activity, and product launches. It analyzes retail and market data, evaluates program performance, and coordinates execution with sales, marketing, distributors, agencies, and retail partners. Applicants need at least 7 years of relevant experience, UAE and GCC market experience, and a bachelor's degree in a related discipline; Arabic is preferred.
The posting
As published on thehersheycompany.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat®, Dot’s Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.
At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.
Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.
The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.
How will you fit in the big picture?
As an Associate Manager, Customer Marketing MEA, you will play a critical role in driving profitable growth across the Middle East and Africa region by developing and executing customer and channel marketing strategies. Acting as a trade and customer marketing expert, you will collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Category Management, Finance, Supply Chain, distributors, and retail partners to deliver shopper-centric solutions that improve product availability, visibility, execution excellence, and overall shopper experience. Your ability to translate data and insights into actionable customer strategies will help accelerate business performance across key MEA markets.
What will you do?
- Develop customer and channel strategies based on shopper insights, category priorities, and market opportunities.
- Create customer-ready merchandising and product solutions, including assortment recommendations, planograms, shelf placement, promotions, pricing strategies, seasonal programs, and innovation launches.
- Identify channel-specific growth opportunities and develop differentiated activation plans that improve visibility, distribution, and sales performance.
- Build compelling customer selling stories and presentations for promotions, activations, seasonal programs, and innovation initiatives.
- Partner with Sales, Marketing, Category Management, Finance, Supply Chain, distributors, agencies, and retail partners to execute integrated customer marketing programs.
- Lead cross-functional planning and activation activities, ensuring alignment on objectives, timelines, budgets, and execution requirements.
- Analyze retailer POS, sell-in, sell-out, syndicated, panel, and Nielsen data to identify opportunities and drive data-based recommendations.
- Monitor distribution, availability, promotion performance, innovation launches, and execution KPIs, recommending corrective actions where needed.
- Evaluate promotional and seasonal programs using ROI, profitability, market share, and execution metrics to optimize future investments.
- Manage multiple customer marketing projects simultaneously, ensuring successful delivery from planning through execution and post-program review.
- Conduct regular market visits and e-commerce reviews to assess competitive activity, retail execution, and emerging consumer opportunities.
Experience:
- Minimum 7+ years of experience in Trade Marketing, Customer Marketing, Category Management, or a related commercial function.
- Strong experience developing and executing customer and channel marketing strategies within FMCG or consumer goods environments.
- Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects and lead cross-functional execution across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Experience utilizing retailer POS data, sell-in/sell-out data, syndicated data, Nielsen data, and financial metrics to drive business decisions.
- Strong commercial acumen with experience evaluating promotions, customer investments, market share performance, and ROI.
- Demonstrated success influencing internal and external stakeholders, including customers, distributors, agencies, and retail partners.
- Advanced analytical, presentation, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
- UAE and GCC market experience is required.
- Arabic language proficiency is preferred.
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Management, or a related discipline.
Benefits and Perks
At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.
Health & Wellbeing: Medical, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health.
Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities.
Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable.
Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility.
Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.