Sr. Brand Stewardship Specialist at Land O'Lakes, Inc. in ARDEN HILLS, Minnesota

Job Description:

Sr. Brand Stewardship Specialist

The Sr. Brand Stewardship Specialist will play a pivotal role in fostering the universal expression and direction of our brand(s). Reporting directly to the Brand Stewardship Manager, this individual will collaborate with both internal and external teams, with an emphasis on leading creative development in partnership with external agency partners and our internal brand studio team.

Areas of Responsibility:

40% Creative Leadership: Accountable for the development of creative brand activation work across brands, ensuring impact is made across touchpoints and elements aligned with agreed upon brand strategies.
20% Long-term Brand Stewardship: Contribute to shaping the long-term vision for our brands, and helping to ensure we remain intentional, consistent and commitment to that strategy continuously to ensure brand equity is built over time.

10% Team Mentorship: Inspire and mentor a talented team of brand stewardship specialist, providing guidance and fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and brand-forward thinking.

20% Integrated Planning and Budget Management: Work closely with others within the Brand Stewardship team as well as COE partners and Portfolio Marketing team to build a seamless brand experience for consumers that is on-strategy, on-time, and on-budget.

Brand Activations include but are not limited to the following: advertising (digital, TV, print, social, point-of-sale, etc.), price promotion, influencer, PR, events, website, social media, email, direct mail, sales/broker/channel communication, etc.
10% Creative Excellence: Ongoing commitment to maintaining best-in-class brand/creative development practices aligned with modern marketing practices (i.e. integration of AI, changing creative trends, case studies, etc.). as well as building advocacy for the importance of creativity connected to business growth.

Provide outside-in view of emerging trends, championing for consideration and/or testing. Includes supporting and embracing test and learn, and iterative marketing practices.

Our Brand Stewardship team is dedicated to developing and expressing the unique identity of our brand(s) across multiple consumer touchpoints. As a part of this team, you will be instrumental in driving brand defining ideas that lead to creative breakthrough while ensuring the highest standards of brand consistency and quality.

This Sr. Brand Stewardship Specialist will lead creative development for our Brand Forward Portfolio of brands which includes our Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods brand as well as the Purina Animal Nutrition brands. Budgets range for agency management, creative development and production between 5-10MM annually for these brands contributing to sales of over $10B annually.

While not a manager role, this person will have support from the other Brand Stewardship Specialists within the team to help distribute and manage creative development work across brands.

Required Experience/Knowledge/Skills:

• Bachelor's degree required in marketing, strategic communications, Journalism and Mass Communications, Advertising, or related education.


• 10+ years of brand activation (advertising) experience leading either internal or external agency teams within consumer goods categories.


• Detailed understanding of the end-to-end advertising production processes including creative development process, creative production, trafficking/implementation and a working understanding of brand and engagement planning.


• Working knowledge of various creative software's and systems (Adobe suite, various project management software's, DAM, etc.).


• Experience with brand advertising development across multiple-channels and media with a proficiency in digital and video execution.

Essential Functions:

• Proactive communicator with internal & external contacts with exceptional written and verbal skills


• Excellent analytical and proactive problem-solving skills; appreciation for business dynamics and mechanics that impact brand decisions


• Able to effectively and confidently present creative concepts to varying levels in a highly matrixed organization - from individual contributors to C-Suite executives


• Have a proven track record in building good relationships with agency partners to create industry changing work.


• Strong Creative Acumen: Demonstrated ability to think creatively and develop innovative brand ideas that align with defined brand strategies


• Background in advertising/brand activation development: Proven experience working in creative environments to create compelling brand ideas and activations.


• Project Management Skills: should have a solid understanding of project workflows to effectively guide external partners and collaborate with internal teams.


• Mobilizing talent with an emphasis on supporting prioritization and focus


• Comfort working within partners to internally champion creative ideas and help with internal stakeholder management to build advocacy and support for bold thinking.


• Comfort working in a relatively flat org structure. A 'chip in' mentality shared by all levels and functions.


• Must be highly collaborative; with an ability to work with other COE (Centers of Excellence) functions to build integrated activation.


• Travel required; approximately 10-15% (based on creative production schedules, timing, etc.

The salary range for this role is $91,120 - $136,680

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O'Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.