Vice President of Marketing
Enterprise Commercial Leadership | Food & Protein Industry
The Role
The Vice President of Marketing is a senior enterprise leader responsible for shaping how a $10B, vertically integrated food company brings products to market profitably and at scale. Reporting to the Chief Commercial & Supply Chain Officer, this role connects market demand, product strategy, brand positioning, innovation, and supply chain realities to ensure the business converts supply into the highest‑value, most strategically aligned product mix.
This role leads a broad organization that includes Brand Management, Product & Category Management, Marketing Insights & Analytics, Corporate Communications, and R&D/Culinary. The VP of Marketing is accountable for driving profitable growth, improving mix, expanding value‑added offerings, and serving as a key bridge between Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance.
If you thrive in complex, commodity‑driven environments and enjoy leading at the intersection of strategy, execution, and cross‑functional influence, this role offers the opportunity to make an enterprise‑level impact.
What You’ll Be Accountable For
Product Strategy, Commercialization & Portfolio Leadership
- Lead end‑to‑end product commercialization across both commodity and value‑added portfolios.
- Translate category strategy into executable product roadmaps, specifications, and launch plans.
- Own the full lifecycle of SKUs—from setup and launch through optimization and discontinuation.
- Partner closely with Commercial Finance to improve mix, margins, and portfolio health using cost, complexity, and profitability analytics.
- Ensure product decisions align with plant capabilities, yields, and supply constraints.
- Establish clear governance to manage SKU growth while meeting customer needs.
Brand Strategy & Marketing Leadership
- Own brand architecture, positioning, and governance across all channels.
- Ensure messaging is consistent, compliant, and aligned with regulatory requirements.
- Lead marketing and advertising strategy across trade, digital, and industry platforms.
- Develop and manage annual marketing plans and budgets.
- Guide creative strategy, messaging, and agency partnerships.
- Strengthen differentiation of value‑added platforms through compelling positioning.
R&D and Culinary Oversight
- Provide executive leadership over R&D and Culinary functions with a strong focus on commercialization.
- Prioritize innovation pipelines aligned to approved product roadmaps.
- Establish and enforce stage‑gate processes focused on feasibility, cost targets, and launch readiness.
- Ensure new products are scalable, repeatable, and production‑ready.
- Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure formulations and processes work at commercial scale.
Insights, Analytics & Market Intelligence
- Build and lead best‑in‑class market intelligence and analytics capabilities.
- Oversee consumer, customer, and category insights.
- Monitor commodity markets, pricing benchmarks, and competitive dynamics.
- Partner with Finance and Revenue Management to inform pricing and margin strategies.
- Translate data and insights into actionable commercial decisions.
Cross‑Functional Enterprise Leadership
- Serve as a core member of the commercial leadership team.
- Partner closely with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance.
- Balance demand generation with supply and operational realities.
- Support key customer relationships and strategic account initiatives.
Leadership & Organization Development
- Lead and develop a large, multifunctional marketing organization.
- Build a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline.
- Establish clear decision rights, governance, and performance metrics.
- Operate as a true leader of leaders in a complex enterprise environment.
What We’re Looking For
Experience
- 15+ years of experience in food manufacturing, protein, or related industries.
- Senior leadership experience across marketing, product, or commercial strategy.
- Demonstrated success driving margin improvement, portfolio optimization, and value‑added growth.
- Deep experience partnering with Operations and Supply Chain.
- Experience in poultry or broader protein environments strongly preferred.
- Experience in USDA‑regulated environments preferred.
- Experience overseeing R&D and innovation functions preferred.
- Experience across both commodity and value‑added businesses preferred.
Skills & Capabilities
- Strong financial acumen and P&L understanding.
- Strategic, commercially oriented leadership style.
- Ability to align market demand with operational reality.
- Confident decision‑making in complex, commodity‑driven environments.
- Strong executive presence and influence across peers and leadership.
- Data‑driven, results‑oriented mindset.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field required.
- Master’s degree preferred.
Work Environment
This role operates in a professional office environment and involves extensive collaboration, analysis, and executive interaction. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. All employees are expected to follow company policies, including safety and code of conduct expectations.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Wayne‑Sanderson Farms is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.