Brand Manager Affligem BNL

As Brand Manager Affligem BNL, you will be responsible for developing and executing the brand strategy for one of the most iconic craft beer brands across Belgium and the Netherlands, while also supporting its international growth with a strong focus on France.

You will play a key role in shaping the future of the Affligem portfolio by combining strategic thinking, operational excellence, and consumer-centric innovation. From long-term brand vision to day-to-day execution, you ensure that all marketing initiatives contribute to sustainable growth and strong brand equity.

Operating in a dynamic, cross-market environment, you will collaborate closely with local and international stakeholders, ensuring alignment between consumer needs, brand strategy, and commercial objectives.

Location: Belgium/Netherlands Presence required: Minimum 1 day per week in Leiden and 1 day per week in Mechelen

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to the development and execution of the long-term brand and portfolio strategy for Affligem across Belgium, the Netherlands, and key international markets

• Drive and deliver a 3-year innovation pipeline, translating consumer needs into relevant product innovations

• Own and execute the end-to-end operational marketing plan (ATL & BTL), including budget management and performance tracking

• Define and implement the full marketing mix, in close collaboration with Sales and Trade Marketing teams across both markets

• Develop and execute an integrated activity calendar to strengthen market position and financial performance

• Monitor and analyze market trends, consumer insights, and brand performance KPIs (volume, revenue, distribution, brand power, market share), and propose corrective actions where needed

• Deliver clear and actionable management reporting and insights to support decision-making

• Lead and contribute to cross-functional projects, working with internal teams and external partners

• Take ownership of innovation and renovation projects, including product launches, packaging updates, and flavor developments across Belgium, the Netherlands, and France

• Act as a key point of contact for sales channels in Belgium and the Netherlands and collaborate closely with the Affligem team in France

• Ensure consistent and high-quality execution of all brand communications and activations across channels

• Act as the primary contact for BTL materials and consumer activations, ensuring effective deployment and usage

• Develop activation concepts across channels that can be scaled across Belgium and the Netherlands

• Lead assigned communication projects end-to-end, in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders

• Contribute to media planning and storytelling, in close collaboration with media teams and agency partners

YOUR PROFILE

• Experience & education

  • Master’s degree (Marketing, Business, Economics, or related field)
  • Around 8 years of commercial/marketing experience
  • Experience in FMCG and/or beer/craft category is a strong plus

• Functional skills

  • Strong capabilities in brand strategy, portfolio management, and innovation
  • Solid understanding of category strategy and route-to-market dynamics
  • Experience with ATL & BTL campaign development and execution
  • Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
  • Experience managing budgets and ensuring effective allocation of resources
  • Skilled in project management and cross-functional collaboration

• Behavioral competencies

  • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
  • Proactive, hands-on, and result-oriented mindset
  • Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution
  • Collaborative team player with strong organizational skills

What's in it for you?

• Trust, challenge and support from experienced managers and professionals who know how to develop people, teams and take organizations to the next level.

• We are the market challenger. This means we are a dynamic, local organization; with the benefits of belonging to the larger, international HEINEKEN family.

• Awesome colleagues who enjoy a refreshing Cristal or Desperados 0% after work.

• The opportunity to make your mark and take the initiative. (Which, according to our colleagues, is one of the greatest advantages of working at Alken-Maes).

• A coaching environment, giving you an extraordinary learning opportunity.

• And of course, a competitive package and other nice conditions.

  • Meal vouchers
  • Hospitalisation plan
  • Group insurance
  • 33 leave days
  • Mobility options
  • Bonus