Senior Manager Brand Strategy and Activation (m/f/d)

Senior Manager Brand Strategy and Activation (m/f/d)

At Clarios, we are producing the world’s best batteries, essential for the evolving future of transportation. Our advanced, low-voltage batteries and smart solutions power nearly every type of vehicle and are found in 1 of 3 cars on the road today. Ready to shape cutting-edge manufacturing processes and make an impact across the whole EMEA region and beyond? Take on the challenge and join us as a Senior Manager Brand Strategy & Activation (m/f/d)!

Power your future with Clarios and explore the possibilities with us.

As Senior Manager Brand Strategy & Activation (m/f/d), you will play a key role in defining, evolving, and activating the global brand strategy for VARTA and additional automotive aftermarket brands, including OPTIMA and second-line brands.

You will lead the strategic repositioning and activation of VARTA globally, translating brand vision into emotionally compelling customer experiences and impactful market campaigns across Europe. In addition, you will lead a team of three, and collaborate closely with global, regional, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure brand consistency, commercial relevance, and business growth.

The position will be based in our Clarios EMEA headquarters in Hannover, Germany.

What You Will Do

As Senior Manager Brand Strategy & Activation (m/f/d), you will use your expertise in strategic brand management, campaign activation, and marketing to:

• Define and continuously evolve the global brand strategy, positioning, and architecture for VARTA and additional aftermarket product brands.

• Translate global brand strategies into locally relevant activation plans that reflect customer needs, market insights, data and commercial priorities.

• Manage a complex brand portfolio across markets, channels and segments

• Lead the strategic repositioning, relaunch, and activation of VARTA, ensuring a modern, differentiated, and emotionally engaging brand presence.

• Develop compelling brand narratives, value propositions, messaging frameworks, and activation toolkits that strengthen customer preference and commercial impact.

• Drive integrated activation campaigns across Europe, including campaign strategy, creative development, agency management, launch planning, and performance evaluation.

• Lead market research initiatives including brand tracking, customer and competitor insights, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

• Act as the owner of trademark-related topics for relevant brands and ensure compliance with brand governance and protection standards.

• Collaborate closely with Corporate Communications to align brand strategy, external communications, and brand governance within the Clarios corporate brand.

• Build strong partnerships with the Global Team, European Marketing Managers, and key cross-functional stakeholders to ensure consistent and impactful brand execution.

• Partner with Product Management, Sales, Digital Marketing, CX, and Trade Marketing teams to embed brand strategy throughout the customer journey.

• Set priorities, manage budgets, and ensure strong project execution across multiple strategic initiatives.

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of three while fostering collaboration and high performance.

What makes you a good fit

• University degree in Marketing, Brand Management, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.

• Solid years of experience in brand strategy, brand management, or strategic marketing within an international environment.

• Proven leadership experience with the ability to lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team while remaining closely involved in key initiatives.

• Strong expertise in brand positioning, brand research studies, value proposition development, and integrated go-to-market activation.

• Experience building and activating brands in competitive B2B, B2B2C, or consumer-focused environments, automotive aftermarket experience is a strong plus.

• Strong understanding of customer insights, market research, brand performance measurement, and data-driven decision-making.

• Demonstrated success in developing and executing integrated campaigns across multiple channels, including digital, social, retail, trade marketing, and events.

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience collaborating across functions, regions, and external agency partners.

• Strategic, creative, and commercially minded, with the ability to translate brand vision into impactful market activation.

• Fluency English is required, German and additional European languages are an advantage.

• Hands-on, proactive, and willing to take ownership, meaning commitment to deliver, solve problems, and be accountable for outcomes.

What we offer you

As a technology leader with strong brands (i.e. VARTA® and OPTIMA®), Clarios notably lives on the creativity, capability and satisfaction of its employees. Therefore, we offer people with drive and power many good reasons to join us:

• Exciting professional tasks and challenges in a diverse international future-oriented environment with strong commitment to integrity, values, social engagement, and sustainability.

• Arrange your working hours and breaks flexible via our flexible working hours model and combine your professional and private life even better according to our above average number of vacation days, mobile work policy and company kindergarten.

• A competitive remuneration package, including additional payments as well as company pension scheme.

• Your well-being is very important to us: Take advantage of our preventive health care offers such as fitness center, physiotherapist, modern office environment, healthy canteen, team and company events or hobby clubs.

• Stay fit whilst at the same time positively contributing to our environment: Lease your company bike.

• Our well-advanced onboarding process and buddy program supports you to quickly grow into the position and team. By using the offering in our Learning Academy, LinkedIn Learning and EMEA Mentoring Program you will be able to further grow professionally and personally.

• Last, but not least we support you in relocating and finding an apartment in your work location, if applicable and depending on individual factors.

You want to learn more about the position and our EMEA region? Check out our regional page and get in touch with our recruiting team.

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About Clarios

Clarios is the global leader in advanced, low-voltage battery technologies for mobility. Our batteries and smart solutions power nearly every type of vehicle and are found in 1 of 3 cars on the road today. With around 18,000 employees in over 100 countries, we bring deep expertise to our Aftermarket and OEM partners, and reliability, safety and comfort to everyday lives. We answer to the planet with a rigorous sustainability focus - advancing best-in-class sustainability practices and advocating for them across our industry. We work to ensure 100% of our products sold are recyclable, and we recycle 8,000 batteries an hour in our network. You can find more information here (PDF).

To All Recruitment Agencies: Clarios does not accept unsolicited agency resumes/CVs. Please do not forward resumes/CVs to our careers email addresses, Clarios employees or any other company location. Clarios is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/CVs.