Brand Manager

Location: Chesterfield

Job Type: Full-Time

Classification:
Exempt

Location:

ZQUARED Headquarters
- Chesterfield, MO(On-Site)

Department:
Brand Management

Reports To:

Director of Brand Management

Schedule:

8AM-4PM, M-F

Overview

ZQUARED is a multi-brand operator on Amazon and Walmart. Through our Brand Management model, we take an investment position in the brands we partner with: purchasing inventory, owning the marketplace P&L, and integrating content, advertising, and brand protection under one operational system. We currently manage a portfolio of 50+ brand partners across multiple pods and continue to scale toward 100.

Role

The Brand Manager at ZQUARED is the strategic lead and primary point of contact for an assigned portfolio of brand partners. Working as the quarterback of a cross-functional pod - composed of a Brand Manager, a Content Specialist, and an Advertising Specialist - this role owns the brand relationship, sets the strategic direction, and is accountable for revenue, margin, and growth outcomes across the portfolio.

The Brand Manager directs and approves all brand-facing work produced by the pod, ensures execution standards are met, and represents ZQUARED in all brand partner conversations.

Responsibilities

Brand Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned brand partners, building and maintaining trusted relationships.
• Lead cadenced calls and quarterly business reviews with each brand partner.
• Translate brand partner needs and objectives into an actionable strategy and aligned execution.
• Manage all aspects of Amazon Seller Central and Walmart Seller Center for assigned brands.

Brand Strategy Development

• Develop and execute portfolio-level brand strategy aligned with each partner's commercial goals and ZQUARED's investment thesis.
• Identify and lead 1-2 named growth initiatives per brand each month (minimum 12 per brand annually) - including catalog expansion, channel expansion, pricing optimization, advertising restructure, and brand protection actions.
• Conduct ongoing market research to identify trends, competitive threats, and white-space opportunities.
• Own pricing strategy, including promotional cadence, MAP enforcement coordination, and discount management to maximize sales and contribution margin.

Content Creation and Management

• Lead content strategy and priorities for each brand to drive organic ranking, conversion rate, and brand search performance.
• Work with the Content Specialist to set direction on listings, A+ content, brand store, and marketing materials.
• Review and approve all brand-facing content before publication; nothing goes live without Brand Manager sign-off.
• Ensure content aligns with brand standards and current Amazon AI optimization standards (COSMO/Rufus).

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze sales, advertising, and contribution margin data to evaluate brand and portfolio health.
• Utilize market intelligence, brand analytics, and proprietary internal reporting as part of daily decision-making.
• Generate and deliver monthly performance reports and quarterly business reviews with strategic insights and recommendations.
• Track KPIs against forecast and make timely pricing, ad spend, and inventory decisions to defend portfolio outcomes.

Collaboration & Communication

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the pod, including weekly syncs, deliverable approvals, and clear assignment of accountability.
• Partner with the Advertising Specialist on advertising strategy and optimization with clear targets for TACOS, iROAS, and incremental contribution.
• Partner cross-functionally with Inventory, Brand Operations, and the Director of Brand Management to ensure portfolio-wide consistency.
• Coordinate with the Inventory team on demand planning and forecasting; flag inventory risk and opportunity proactively.
• Communicate proactively with brand partners across phone, email, and CRM with clear documentation of decisions and direction.

Other Responsbilities

• Establish and oversee documentation standards for the pod to ensure data integrity and marketplace compliance.
• Continuously evaluate and refine brand management processes in partnership with Brand Operations; contribute to process improvements that scale across the team.
• Use available AI tools as leverage in daily workflow.
• Operate with a high standard of professional conduct, treating every brand partner as a long-term capital investment.

First 90 Days

The Brand Manager will progress through three structured phases during onboarding, each with clearly defined milestones.

Days 1-30 | Learn the Operating System

• Complete onboarding and shadow each existing pod to absorb operating rhythm.
• Take full ownership of assigned portfolio and complete a baseline diagnostic on every brand.
• Establish weekly 1:1 cadence with the Director of Brand Management and pod specialists.
• Become operational in internal analytics, project management, and CRM platforms.

Days 31-60 | Establish Pod Rhythm

• Run a 30-day strategy review with every brand partner in the portfolio.
• Build a forward-looking growth initiative…