Senior Manager, Brand Development (Tea+)

Who We Are

Suntory is a global leader in consumer-packaged goods, renowned for producing and distributing a uniquely diverse portfolio of beverages, premium spirits, beer, wine, and wellness products throughout the world. With a history dating back to 1899, we are driven by a profound purpose: To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. At Suntory Beverage and Food, we boldly move forward together to realize the dreams of becoming a world-leading next-generation global beverage company, always together with Seikatsusha – you are an important part of this and here’s how your role helps us win.

About your role

The Senior Manager, Brand Development will lead the regional Marketing and Innovation strategy for Suntory brands, with a primary focus on the TEA+ portfolio. The role is responsible for driving brand growth, strengthening market positioning and leading innovation initiatives in alignment with regional business priorities.

This includes developing and executing brand strategies, identifying market opportunities, driving consumer relevance and leading cross-functional collaboration to deliver sustainable brand growth and long-term business objectives. This role may also support broader regional innovation initiatives as required.

What You'll Do

Regional Brand Management & Strategy

• Develop and strengthen the TEA+ brand portfolio, ensuring clear consumer propositions and competitive market positioning.

• Drive regional brand growth by achieving sales, profitability, penetration and market share objectives.

• Analyse market trends, consumer insights and brand performance to identify growth opportunities and drive portfolio expansion.

• Develop brand communication strategies and guide local Business Units (BUs) in execution, ensuring consistency across markets.

• Collaborate with Japan HQ, Innovation teams and cross-functional stakeholders to drive brand development in line with the Suntory Way innovation model.

Innovation & New Product Development (NPD)

• Lead regional innovation and NPD initiatives for the TEA+ portfolio, including new formats, variants, product enhancements and packaging innovations.

• Translate consumer insights and emerging market trends into relevant product innovation opportunities.

• Lead cross-functional NPD projects, collaborating with R&D, Supply Chain, Legal, Regulatory, Sales, Finance, local BUs and external agencies.

• Oversee product development and change management initiatives, including formulation, ingredients and manufacturing processes.

• Support broader regional innovation initiatives beyond TEA+ through opportunity identification, concept development and business case evaluation.

Regional Brand Planning

• Translate regional marketing strategies into annual brand and NPD plans aligned with business objectives and mid-term plans.

• Work closely with local BU Marketing teams to ensure regional brand strategies are effectively adapted to local market needs and consumer preferences.

• Support the development and execution of regional brand strategies to drive sustainable business growth.

Budget & Performance Management

• Manage and monitor regional marketing and advertising (A&M) budgets and product development costs.

• Track brand performance, marketing investments and project progress to ensure effective resource allocation.

• Oversee regular reporting and administrative activities related to regional marketing operations.

Business Unit Collaboration & Performance Tracking

• Work closely with regional Business Units to monitor brand performance, marketing activities and business developments across markets.

• Consolidate local market insights and performance updates to identify opportunities, address challenges and ensure alignment with regional brand strategies.

What You need to be successful

Relevant Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in Brand or Product Management within global FMCG organisations.

• Experience in Food & Beverage, preferably in non-alcoholic beverages, ready-to-drink (RTD), tea or related categories.

• Strong exposure to the Vietnam market and tea category would be an advantage.

• Proven experience leading innovation and New Product Development (NPD), covering concept development, product and packaging innovation through to commercialisation.

Functional Skills

• Strong strategic thinking and commercial acumen.

• Good understanding of consumer insights, market trends and brand development.

• Strong project management and stakeholder management capabilities.

• Solid knowledge of marketing, brand management and innovation.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

• Ability to collaborate and influence stakeholders across regional and local teams.

• Fluent in English; Vietnamese language proficiency is preferred.

Behavioural Competencies

• Demonstrates a strong sense of ownership, urgency and achievement orientation.

• Resilient and comfortable working in challenging environments.

• Open to constructive feedback and able to respectfully challenge assumptions and stakeholder perspectives.

• Adaptable and comfortable navigating ambiguity and making progress with incomplete information.

• Able to manage multiple priorities and deliver effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Our DEI Commitment

At Suntory, we recognize that diverse knowledge, perspectives, and backgrounds contribute to our collective success. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all individuals can bring their whole selves to work every day, regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, or differing abilities, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to highlight what Suntory offers as an employer while allowing candidates to share their unique skills and experiences. We understand that career trajectories vary, and if you believe your experience/background can benefit our team, we encourage you to apply. We endeavor to make our interview process as inclusive as possible and offer reasonable accommodations as needed. Together, we can cultivate a workplace where everyone can thrive and propel our mission of Growing for Good.