Head of Marketing

Gearys Bakeries Limited; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - GBP 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bakery company based in Leicester is seeking a Head of Marketing to lead brand strategy and communications. You'll protect and grow the brand, manage a cross-functional team, and ensure marketing efforts align with business objectives. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in FMCG brand management, deep commercial insight, and exceptional leadership skills, fostering collaboration within a vibrant team. This position offers a hybrid working model and a commitment to developing talent within the organization.

Benefits

Free delicious bread

BUPA Cashback Plan

Death In Service

Cycle to Work scheme

Annual prizes worth £10k

Friend referral bonus up to £500

Qualifications

• Strong cross-functional leadership experience, especially with Sales and NPD.
• Experience with premium or challenger FMCG brands.
• Strong understanding of brand building principles.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead overall marketing strategy.
• Define and protect brand positioning.
• Oversee communications across various channels.

Skills

Brand strategy

Product marketing

Integrated communications

Cross-functional leadership

Consumer insights

Retail activation

Education

Proven experience in FMCG

Job description

Working Pattern: Monday–Friday, with flexibility occasionally required to support key launches, agency collaboration and business priorities.

Location: Leicester-based office, LE3 8JR, with hybrid working (typically 3 days on site per week)

The role

The Head of Marketing will lead and shape how Jason’s Sourdough shows up in the world, building on a period of strong growth as the business enters its next phase of development.

This role is about protecting and growing the brand – making sure more households discover, understand and choose Jason’s, while staying true to what makes the brand special. It will set clear direction across brand, product and communications, bringing focus, consistency and impact to everything we do.

Leading a team covering Product Brand Management, Communications, and Customer Service, the Head of Marketing will ensure our products, packaging, storytelling and activation work together seamlessly – from in-store and online to PR, social and wider brand campaigns.

Working in close partnership with Sales, Category, NPD and Operations, and alongside trusted external agency partners, the role will drive strong activation of the existing range while helping shape and launch new products that are genuinely relevant to consumers and right for the brand.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who combines commercial thinking with brand instinct, brings clarity and organisation to complexity, and has the experience to lead an FMCG brand through its next stage of sustainable, long-term growth. There is a cross-functional ‘Heads Of’ team at Jason’s, and the Head of Marketing will be an instrumental part of this group.

The main responsibilities include:

• Own and lead the overall marketing strategy, aligned to business objectives and long-term brand vision.
• Play a key role in the evolution of the business from high-growth challenger to a more mature, scalable organisation.
• Act as a senior marketing voice within the wider commercial leadership team, influencing business decision‑making.
• Build, lead, coach and develop a high‑performing marketing team with clear accountability and collaboration.

Brand Strategy & Brand Management

• Define and protect the Jason’s Sourdough brand positioning, purpose and tone of voice across all touchpoints.
• Lead brand strategy development and execution to drive brand awareness, distinctiveness and penetration.
• Ensure brand consistency across product, packaging, communications, retail activation and CSR initiatives.
• Lead Product Brand Management (with Product Brand Manager support), ensuring the current product mix is effectively activated in line with consumer needs and commercial priorities.
• Partner closely with NPD, Category and Sales to shape the innovation pipeline from insight to launch.
• Work closely with Category Manager on the consumer insight agenda, ensuring NPD and renovation decisions are insight‑led and commercially sound.

Communications & Activation

• Lead Communication Brand Management (with Comms Brand Manager support) across PR, social, digital, retail activation, ATL, events, partnerships and CSR.
• Oversee media and channel strategy to ensure efficient and effective investment.
• Ensure excellence in retail activation, working closely with Sales and Category to win in‑store and on e‑comm channels.
• Lead crisis and reputation management activity in partnership with PR and senior stakeholders when required.

Agency & Stakeholder Management

• Own and manage relationships with external agencies including but not limited to creative, PR, social, media and brand strategy partners.
• Ensure agencies are clear on and aligned on objectives, budgets, timelines and performance expectations.
• Foster strong cross‑functional collaboration internally, particularly with Sales, Category, NPD and Operations.

Planning, Budget & Performance

• Own the marketing budget, ensuring effective allocation and strong ROI.
• Lead annual planning, forecasting and long‑range brand investment planning.
• Alongside Category Manager, define KPIs and measurement frameworks to track brand health, campaign performance and commercial impact.

Culture, Ways of Working & Capability

• Strengthen marketing processes, governance and ways of working as the team and business evolve.
• Champion collaboration, clarity and accountability across the marketing function.

About Us

At Geary’s Bakeries, we’re on a crusade to make proper bread more accessible to more people. We’re passionate about re‑imagining the way Great Britain thinks about their everyday loaf. This passion is at the heart of everything we do, and have done, since 1906.

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We are ‘born and bread’ in Leicestershire and proud of our long‑standing heritage. Today, we operate from three sites on a 24/7 operation. We’re made up of over 1000 people: a friendly, diverse and outgoing team, passionate about making a difference to the bakery industry.

The business has grown rapidly from £5m in annual sales to £125m+ in the last 15 years with strong and consistent profitability. We have an ambition to increase sales to more than £200m+ in the next 3–5 years. A clear Vision and Strategy has been articulated, and this is being backed with major capital investment and a renewal and upgrading of the people, processes, and systems.

Our brilliant benefits include free delicious bread, BUPA Cashback Plan, Death In Service, a Cycle to Work scheme and a chance to win a £10k worth prizes annually! Plus, if you refer a friend to join our team, you could earn up to £500!

About You

At Geary’s, we look for people who show up every day to do their best. We’re a passionate, friendly team and look for the same qualities in our new recruits. We firmly believe your attitude and approach is just (if not, more so) than the skills and experience on your CV.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience/exposure across: Brand strategy and brand management / Product marketing and NPD launches / Integrated communications (PR, social, digital, ATL) / Retail activation and shopper marketing
• Strong cross‑functional leadership experience, particularly with Sales, Category and NPD.
• Deep understanding of FMCG brand building principles, including penetration‑led growth, mental availability and distinctive brand assets.
• Strong knowledge of consumer insight methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative research, shopper insight and data‑led decision making.
• Solid understanding of route‑to‑market dynamics, including grocery multiples, convenience, and the role of retailer activation.
• Knowledge of end‑to‑end product lifecycle management, from ideation through launch, optimisation and range rationalisation.
• Experience working with premium or challenger FMCG brands.
• Experience navigating a business transitioning from high growth to a more mature operating model.

All applicants must have the right to work in the UK, at point of interview, and for the tenure of employment contract. As part of the recruitment process, you will be asked to provide documented evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK.

If you have not heard from us within seven days, unfortunately you have not been successful on this occasion, but we wish you every success in your search for a new position.