Senior Marketing Activation Manager

Senior Marketing Activation Manager – 12 MONTH FTC 

Your manager: Marketing Activation Director – Europe & Omnichannel 

Team: Europe Regional Customer Marketing 

Location: Chiswick, London

We operate a hybrid working approach, which allows you to manage your time between home and office.

Be part of something big 

We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries, including: Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell Cognac, Havana Club, Beefeater, Malfy and Monkey 47 gins, Malibu, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes 

Here in the UK

In the UK, Pernod Ricard is made up of 4 businesses:

• Pernod Ricard UK, which markets, sells and distributes our products in the UK market
• Chivas Brothers, the largest brand company in the Group, responsible for the production and management of our award-winning Scotch whisky portfolio
• Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, the global and EMEA home of the group’s duty free, air travel and cruises business.
• The Absolut Group, the brand owner of our global white spirits portfolio, whose Gin brand unit and Business Acceleration team sit in London.

Your new team

This position sits in our Global Travel Retail business. Global Travel Retail is one of the Group’s largest markets, bringing Pernod Ricard brands to life in the exciting and innovative Travel Retail channel which includes duty-free, cruise ships & border shops around the globe. With a global footprint across more than 20 locations and over 30 nationalities, our working culture celebrates inclusion and diversity. Our team is united by our shared passion for travel and our shared belief in its transformative power. Travel to the heart of our exciting business with our @pernodricardtravel Instagram page, showcasing our latest projects and innovations around the globe.

Paragraph about the team – see guide and example job advert for more detail.

About the role 

Note, this is a fixed term contract for 12 months.

As Senior Marketing Activation Manager, you will lead the planning and execution of best-in-class activations across three of our global GTR customers. Managing five direct reports, you will shape the annual regional activation strategy, localise global toolkits, negotiate marketing plans, increase visibility and deliver impactful omnichannel brand experiences across key airports in Europe.  

This is a pivotal role in how our brands show up across Europe and beyond—combining creativity, commercial partnership, shopper understanding and flawless execution. 

This position requires the ability to travel up to 30% of the time for customer meetings and airport visits.  

Your unique contribution 

This role has 4 main areas of responsibilities.

1. Deliver Activation Excellence 

• Define annual brand promotional plans aligned to global and regional prioritisation and traveller trends. 

• Evaluate and prioritise promotional packages, activation and visibility opportunities using our investment framework. 

• Work closely with the omnichannel and retail design teams to deliver 360 degree activations, ensuring brand consistency in every touchpoint.  

• Lead end-to-end implementation on strategic projects. 

• Oversee all projects within customer remit while leading the team to deliver best‑in‑class activations. 

2. Leadership & Team Development  

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and performance management.

• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and innovative team culture.

3. Partner with Stakeholders 

• Collaborate closely with Regional Sales Managers and Key Account Managers to co-build customer activation plans for launches and hero campaigns. 

• Develop strong relationships with European customer partners; translate agreements into Joint Business Plans and manage delivery throughout the year. 

• Support customer sell-in with compelling activation proposals and visibility storytelling.

• Work cross-functionally with Europe Regional Commercial, Customer Services, Supply Chain, Global Marketing Activation, Retail Excellence, Brand Teams, and Portfolio & Insights and other Regional Hubs across APAC and Americas.

4. Reporting & Financial Management 

• Own customer-level A&P budgets, including PO management and monthly financial tracking. 

• Provide reporting and insights on campaign performance against KPIs for both customers and internal stakeholders. 

• Monitor depletion trends and share actionable insights with commercial teams.

• Assess visibility tools and campaign effectiveness to drive continuous improvement and efficiencies. 

Your blend of talent

You will thrive in this role if you bring: 

• Experience in customer marketing, trade marketing or activation within Travel Retail, domestic off trade, FMCG, luxury or spirits. 

• Strong leadership and people management capability. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with sales and cross-functional teams. 

• Demonstrated success in negotiating annual customer marketing agreements. 

• Confident in presenting to key internal and external stakeholders. 

• Strong analytical and financial acumen, including budget management and reporting. 

• A dynamic, adaptable and proactive mindset, with excellent project leadership. 

• Curiosity, drive and the ability to manage multiple fast-paced projects simultaneously. 

Role purpose

Your work will directly influence how millions of travellers experience our brands. You will shape visibility, elevate conversion and build strong partnerships with customers—creating standout, cross-channel brand moments in one of the most exciting retail environments in the world. 

You’ll be part of a global, collaborative and entrepreneurial culture where bold ideas, creativity and conviviality are celebrated 

Who you’ll be working with 

Internally, you’ll work closely with Europe Regional Commercial, Customer Services and Supply Chain, Global Marketing Activation Team, Retail Excellence, Brand teams, Portfolio and Insights. Externally, your contacts will be customers, staffing, production and external artwork agencies. 

Your blend of talent 

This position could be right for you if you: 

• Have solid business experience in Marketing within FMCG/drinks or Travel Retail with experience in Brand & Trade Marketing. 

• Have demonstrable business acumen, analytical and solid influencing skills 

• Are able to manage multiple initiatives with strong execution orientation and end to end project management delivery. 

Our mix of benefits 

For your health, we offer private medical insurance, critical illness cover and an optional healthcare cash plan and dental insurance. 

Our lifestyle benefits options include 28 days’ annual holiday, your employee pension, share incentive plan, family care, season ticket loans, free mortgage advice, payroll giving and more! 

You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers. 

We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness. 

Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way 

We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality! It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard. 

We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring. 

We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world though our strong focus on Sustainability and Responsibility (S&R).