Head of Brand & Marketing Strategy

Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a Head of Brand & Marketing Strategy for their Head office. The Strategy, brand and comms role is responsible for defining, embedding, and enforcing marketing and brand standards that ensure consistent, high-quality execution across all channels and functions. The role supports the Chief Marketing Officer in setting execution strategy, establishing governance frameworks, and driving unified marketing planning.

It ensures brand consistency, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making across the marketing organisation, aligning all activities to Dis-Chem’s strategic objectives and brand positioning.

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related Honours degree or postgraduate qualification advantageous
• 8+ years’ experience in marketing strategy, governance, or brand management roles within retail, healthcare, FMCG, or consumer-facing sectors.
• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in a leadership or people management
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and influencing senior stakeholders within complex
• Demonstrated success in improving brand consistency, marketing efficiency, and governance compliance

• Define strategic marketing priorities, brand direction, and campaign objectives that inform go-to-market execution
• Run annual marketing planning process to align on marketing ambition and major campaigns
• Define annual marketing priorities and strategic campaign frameworks that inform the integrated go-to-market calendar (owned by GTM)
• Define strategic budget allocation principles and priorities across retail and ecosystem marketing, with overall budget tracking and management led by the GTM function
• Provide insight-led recommendations to optimise marketing spend and portfolio performance

• Provide brand research to enable informed decision making
• Develop and maintain brand architecture - act as custodian of the Dis-Chem brand, ensuring consistency of tone, look, and message across all channels and materials
• Oversee brand compliance reviews, campaign approvals, and regular brand audits across retail, digital, and communication touchpoints, working closely with head of integrated marketing campaign team and creative studio.
• Provide strategic direction for messaging frameworks and brand narratives, which are adapted for execution by Communications and Integrated Marketing teams
• Determine guardrails to ensure alignment of retail media content with Dis-Chem’s marketing vision
• Define strategic guardrails for retail media allocation to ensure alignment with brand priorities and customer experience principles
• Internal and external communication
• Lead internal communication plans
• Deep understanding of marketing governance, planning, and brand management within a retail or General Merchandise environment & healthcare landscape.
• Expertise in developing and implementing brand guidelines and quality assurance processes
• Strong knowledge of marketing analytics, reporting tools, and performance measurement frameworks
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and embed governance in complex organisations
• Strong communication, analytical, and facilitation skills to balance creativity and control
• Collaborative mindset with experience aligning brand, commercial, and creative teams

• Brand governance & consistency: Compliance with brand guidelines and brand audit results
• Brand & customer outcomes: Brand awareness, sentiment/trust, and consistency across channels
• Campaign effectiveness: Reach, engagement, and brand lift for brand campaigns
• Capability & process improvement: Adoption of toolkits/training and reduced rework from clearer standards
• Team leadership & capability: High-performing team culture, capability development, collaboration, and accountability.

• South African citizen
• MIE, clear criminal and credit
• Driver’s license and/or own reliable transport

• Market related salary
• Medical aid
• Provident fund
• Staff account

Dis-Chem Pharmacies is an equal opportunity employer. Dis-Chem’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to Dis-Chem’s Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. Dis-Chem actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities