Regional Marketing Manager (FMCG)

About the opportunity

We are hiring on behalf of our partner, a hands-on Marketing Manager who will lead our partner's brand’s launch and growth across MENA. Following a successful market test, the business is expanding through leading distributors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The ideal candidate will have proven experience launching and scaling new FMCG or consumer brands, not simply managing established ones.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and lead the regional marketing strategy across MENA.

• Plan and execute the brand’s market launch, initially focusing on the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

• Establish the brand’s positioning, value proposition, messaging, and go-to-market approach.

• Build annual marketing plans tailored to individual markets, channels, and consumer segments.

• Lead marketing across e-commerce, modern trade, traditional trade, and HoReCa channels.

• Partner with regional distributors to ensure consistent and effective local execution.

• Develop trade-marketing programs that support listings, product visibility, promotions, and sell-through.

• Create consumer campaigns that build awareness, trial, repeat purchase, and brand loyalty.

• Oversee digital marketing, social media, content, community-building, and influencer initiatives.

• Manage external creative, media, digital, and activation agencies.

• Use market research, consumer insights, and sales data to identify opportunities and improve performance.

• Own the marketing budget, campaign calendar, and performance-measurement framework.

• Define and monitor KPIs, including brand awareness, distribution, engagement, conversion, market share, and marketing ROI.

• Collaborate closely with the sales, operations, finance, and leadership teams.

• Recruit and develop a lean regional marketing team of approximately three to four people, potentially covering trade marketing and digital and social media.

Candidate profile

• Demonstrated experience launching and scaling a new consumer brand.

• Strong background in FMCG, food and beverage, coffee, retail, or a closely related consumer category.

• Approximately 7–10 years of progressive marketing experience, including ownership of brand strategy and execution.

• Strong knowledge of GCC markets, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

• Experience working with distributors and managing multi-market brand execution.

• Commercial understanding of e-commerce, modern trade, traditional trade, and HoReCa.

• Comfortable moving between strategic planning and hands-on execution.

• Experience building or managing a lean marketing team.

• Strong agency, stakeholder, budget, and project-management capabilities.

• An entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-growing, startup-style environment.

• Strong written and spoken English; Arabic is highly advantageous.

• Willingness to travel across Saudi Arabia and other MENA markets when required.

• Must be based in Dubai or willing to relocate.