Senior Brand Manager for USA market (based in Toronto)

Company Overview:

Riviana Foods Inc. is America’s largest processor, marketer, and distributor of branded and private label rice products. Riviana is a world class leader in rice and pasta, committed to providing the most wholesome products on the market. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ebro Foods, S.A.—the world leader of the rice sector—Riviana takes a world view of the rice and pasta business and is able to draw upon the global reach and resources of its parent company. Riviana Foods Canada Corporation is the Canadian arm of the Riviana brand, with its main rice and pasta products produced and sold in Canada falling under the Minute Rice, Tilda, and Olivieri fresh pasta brands. Riviana’s Success brand is exclusively sold in the United States, with its various boil-in-a-bag product lines. The Success® product line includes pre-cooked White Rice, whole grain Brown Rice, protein-packed Quinoa, and aromatic rice varieties such as Thai Jasmine and Indian Basmati Rice, and premium Pearl Couscous.

Riviana’s parent company Ebro Foods (BME: EBRO) is a multinational food group operating in the rice, pasta and sauces sectors. Based in Spain, it has commercial and/or industrial presence in more than 25 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, through its extensive network of subsidiaries and brands. It is global leader of the rice sector and the second largest pasta manufacturer in the world. This relationship provides access to a worldwide network of raw material sourcing, world-class research and development centers, leading-edge technology and product innovations.

Job Summary: U.S. Senior Brand Manager, Success Rice

This unique role will be a key member of the U.S. marketing team while being based remotely from Toronto, Ontario. Regular travel to the company’s U.S. head office in Houston, Texas will be required (initially monthly, then quarterly) and occasional meetings at Riviana Canada's Toronto head office in Etobicoke. This is a great opportunity for a highly driven, hands-on brand builder who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and is excited by the chance to gain direct exposure to the U.S. market while leading the growth of an established U.S. brand.

The U.S. Senior Brand Manager, Success® Rice will play a key role in repositioning and renewing the Success brand in the U.S. market, with a strong focus on driving growth through innovation and the development of a refreshed brand identity and messaging. Reporting to the U.S. based Director of Marketing, this role will help shape the long-term brand strategy by translating consumer insights, market trends, and competitive dynamics into actionable brand priorities. The Senior Brand Manager will work cross-functionally across Marketing, Innovation, Sales, E-Commerce, and agency partners to develop and execute brand strategies that help achieve strong brand health and financial objectives for the Success brand.

Key Areas of Focus:

Brand Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the strategic direction of the Success Rice brand portfolio (with revenue of $80MM USD), using data and market insights to identify growth opportunities, anticipate risks, and guide brand priorities.
• Monitor the competitive landscape to understand competitor activity, innovation, and positioning, and translate these insights into clear points of differentiation.
• Develop clear, fact-based brand assessments and recommendations that inform strategy, innovation choices, and go-to-market decisions.
• Lead the annual brand planning process for Success and ensure strong execution by partnering closely with cross-functional teams including Innovation, Sales, Trade Marketing, E-Commerce, Finance, and agency partners to drive alignment and momentum behind brand initiatives.
• Become an expert on consumer insights including demographics, purchase behavior, market segmentation, current trends and need gaps.
• Shape and refine the product portfolio to maximize brand growth.

Consumer Communication & Activation

• Define priority consumer targets and insights to guide communication strategies and drive brand growth.
• Develop effective consumer communication plans based on consumer media behaviors, with a strong focus on social media, e-commerce and evolving AI-driven search platforms.
• Lead and oversee the execution of effective shopper and e-commerce tactics that strengthen lower-funnel performance, driving trial, conversion, and repeat purchase.
• Lead the development and optimization of an e-commerce-first brand asset toolkit, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across channels.
• Lead execution of brand activations including timelines, cross-functional coordination & capture of key learnings.
• Partner closely with agency teams to ensure strong collaboration & high-quality execution across brand initiatives.
• Track performance by maintaining regular scorecards across media, social, search, and e-commerce, using results to refine plans and course correct as needed.
• Oversee management of the consumer marketing budget.

New Product Innovation

• Partner with the Senior Innovation Manager to identify growth opportunities by developing an Innovation pipeline aligned with brand strategy, consumer needs, and market trends.
• Help define the role of innovation across the portfolio, identifying opportunities in formats, flavors, packaging, and usage occasions to drive growth.
• Lead commercialization planning for new products, including positioning, pricing, target consumers, volume expectations, and success metrics.
• Align early with Sales and Trade Marketing on retailer targets, regional rollout strategies, and launch priorities.
• Develop clear investment plans for consumer communication and retail/e-commerce support to ensure strong, well-supported launches.

Sales & Retail Partnership

• Partner closely with Sales and Trade Marketing to ensure brand strategies are clearly translated into effective retail and e-commerce execution.
• Provide input into pricing, trade investment, and promotional strategies in support of brand and commercial objectives.
• Support regular business reviews through analysis of brand performance, highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities in collaboration with Sales.
• Ensure brand priorities and marketing plans are clearly communicated and consistently activated across the sales organization.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• 8+ years of Brand Management experience, ideally within CPG, with hands-on exposure to brand strategy, innovation, and in-market execution.
• Experience across digital and e-commerce, with a solid understanding of social media, search, retail media, and website effectiveness.
• Strong leadership and project management skills; highly organized and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to translate data and insights into clear strategies and recommendations.
• Comfort working with syndicated data sources (e.g., Circana or similar like ACN), along with advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Sound financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, understanding P&L dynamics, and evaluating ROI.
• Strong communicator and collaborator who can work effectively with cross-functional teams and external agency partners.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and change; adaptable, resourceful, and solutions oriented.
• Results-driven mindset with a willingness to roll up sleeves and stay close to execution.
• Curiosity and openness to new tools and ways of working, including exposure to AI-enabled marketing and search capabilities.