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Firestone Senior Brand Manager - West

Company Overview

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Position Summary

Senior Brand Manager, Firestone – Bridgestone West
The Senior Brand Manager, Firestone leads the Firestone Brand team within the Center of Excellence (COE). They are responsible for being chief steward of the Firestone brand across Bridgestone West (i.e., the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa) and building brand power, with focus on driving saliency (top of mind awareness), meaning (spontaneous linkage of our brand to key associations) and distinction from competitors among primary targets.

This position reports to the Executive Director of Brand & Marketing Strategy and requires cross- functional collaboration within the larger Marketing COE and business marketing teams across West, along with corporate functions (IP, legal, tax) and the larger global marketing community in leading brand governance activities for the Firestone brand, which is wholly owned by Bridgestone Americas. This teammate, based in Nashville, is a leader of others, currently with one direct report and a variety of indirect relationships. Collaborating and influencing with a broad network of stakeholders is a prerequisite to success for this role.

Responsibilities

  • Chief steward and representative of brand for Firestone Revitalization projects commissioned by G-CEO office and led by West EXCO, partnering across core tire and retail to lead efforts to regain share and increase revenue across key regions in Bridgestone West including U.S. and Brazil

  • Lead project, partnering with cross-functional enterprise stakeholders, to establish and deliver a new brand communications platform and playbooks supporting new value-based position for the Firestone brand; partner with all functions / businesses / regions on consistent deployment.

  • Establish new model for Firestone brand governance with ownership of the brand returning to BSAM. Partner with Legal, Tax, global key stakeholders (including GHO) to effectively steward all brand management activities (finance, legal, licensing, brand enhancement). Serve as primary voice of the brand to West EXCO.

  • Lead strategic development of refreshed strategy for Firestone licensing to grow brand awareness and revenue for brand reinvestment and strategic growth. Deploy strategy across West and globally.

  • Develop annual brief for all Firestone-specific strategic COE Focus Areas – socialize across Marketing COE and other stakeholders / partners to guide all key initiative planning, including our primary brand platforms - the INDYCAR and INDY NXT motorsports programs

  • Lead strategy and oversee execution (in collaboration with Content & Creative team or select external strategic partners) of all Firestone Reason to Care and Consider content for Bridgestone West.

  • Partner with all business marketers to support consistent activation against established brand playbooks at Reason to Buy activation level.

  • Partner with Customer & Marketing Insights (CMI) to identify and deliver brand KPIs that measure progress against established annual Focus Areas for the brand and long-term brand health.

  • Works with Firestone Brand Manager to develop and execute career development plan, ensuring intentional and ongoing discussion around individual teammate career reflection as well as goals and learning opportunities (experience, exposure & education).

    Minimum Qualifications

    • 15+ years experience in brand management – experience in marketing communications or broader business marketing and working within international teams are an asset
    • Possess superior interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills with ability to lead both directly and through influence across a broad network of stakeholders
    • Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to clearly present recommendations and summarize complex issues in a clear and concise manner to senior leaders
    • Have experience leading agency partners and/or external vendors
    • Demonstrate successful people management & development experience
    • A strategic, creative thinker, demonstrating strong problem-solving skills
    • Comfort in dealing with ambiguity and a variety of initiatives and processes
    • Detail-oriented, organized and able to lead and deliver multiple projects in fast-paced environment while producing high-quality outputs
    • Self-starter with bias for action and ability to work independently within a matrixed organization

    Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

    Employment Eligibility

    If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.

    Corporate Careers

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    Our Benefits

    Bridgestone Americas believes that taking care of you means more than just a prescription or dental plan. Our benefit plans are designed to meet our teammates' emotional, financial and physical needs, helping them thrive at work.

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    Physical Health

    At Bridgestone, we care about your physical health. That’s why we offer competitive benefits to ensure our teammates have access to quality and equitable healthcare.

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    Emotional Well-being

    We recognize that emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. That's why we offer a supportive work environment and resources to help our teammates manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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    Financial Well-being

    Bridgestone helps you invest in your future by investing in you. We provide resources and benefits to support your financial health, including retirement plans and financial planning resources, among others.

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    Bridgestone Application & Interview FAQs

    Answers to frequently asked questions about our application and interview process to help you prepare.

    Before you apply for one of the available opportunities at Bridgestone, review each of the skills needed for the role that interests you and be prepared to show how you meet the qualifications.

    Whether on a job application or your resume, it is essential to customize your information to highlight the most relevant connections to the job you want.

    Once you have provided your information to Bridgestone, you will receive a request for an interview if you are being considered.

    In the Bridgestone hiring process, depending on the role you are being considered for, you may have a one-on-one interview or a panel interview, and both can happen in person or via video call. If you are applying for a manufacturing or retail role, you will probably interview in person or at the location where you plan to work. All these factors can change how you might prepare for and conduct an interview, so we have created a guide that covers virtual or video interview tips and in-person interview tips. We have also included other common information you should consider.

    Prepare Your “Elevator Speech”
    In most interviews, you will get the prompt to “tell us about yourself” or something of that nature. It’s best to prepare a short but compelling description of yourself. Consider including:
    Brief summary of your career, potentially highlighting your most relevant job.
    Why are you looking to start a career at Bridgestone, or are you looking to change careers/jobs?
    What was interesting about this particular role or working at Bridgestone?

    Be Ready to Answer Questions
    During an interview, you will be asked questions about previous experience to learn more about you. Whether you are asked about strengths or weaknesses or about a particular work situation that you might have considered a challenge or a win, it helps if you structure your answers with the STAR Method.
    Situation: Describe the challenge you faced, win you had, or relevant situation
    Task: Explain the role you played
    Action: What were the detailed steps you took or how you accomplished the task
    Result: Explain the outcome
    Make sure that it is relevant to the role you are seeking. This method also helps you demonstrate how you accomplished something or overcame a challenge independently or while working well with a team.

    Be Ready to Ask Questions
    It is also important to ask questions to help you make an informed decision about the role if an offer is extended to you. Remember that you are interviewing Bridgestone as much as we are interviewing you, so asking interview questions is critical.
    Some questions you can ask:
    What would my day-to-day role look like?
    Describe the team I would be working with.
    What is your favorite thing about working at Bridgestone?
    You mentioned (insert topic here). Tell me more about that.

    By asking open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” you can learn more about the role and the people you would be working with. And by circling back on information shared during the interview, you show that you are actively listening and interested.

    Plan Your Route
    If you are interviewing in person, map out the route you will take before the day of your interview to make sure you allow enough time for travel. Be mindful of traffic patterns and look for any construction in the area. Aim to be about 15 minutes early for your interview so you can find a place to park and take some time to prepare mentally.
    If you have an unexpected schedule conflict, notify your recruiter via phone/email/text so they can work to reschedule your time.

    Dress to Impress
    Dress appropriately for the role you want. Different work environments may be more casual, but you always want to look your best for an interview. Consider this for a video interview as well. Most of us have better posture and body language when we look and feel our best. While no one may know you are wearing pajamas, your casual demeanor may not make a great first impression. Make sure you are free of as many distractions as possible. With many of us having to work from home while taking care of our families, we understand that quiet space can be challenging to find for you as well as for the interviewers. While we encourage you to find an area where you can focus and not be interrupted, we understand that life happens and might just happen during your interview, so don’t stress too much about it.

    What to Bring
    Even if you have provided a resume, always bring one additional copy for each person interviewing you. And for any interview, it’s always good to bring a pen and paper if you want to take notes. Stay engaged in the conversation; no one wants to see the top of your head while you write notes for the entire interview.

    There may be a chance one or more of your interviews will be conducted virtually. Here are our tips to prepare;

    Check Your Tech
    Confirm what platform you will use and make sure that you have it properly installed and launched on your system.
    If you use a device like a tablet or a laptop, ensure it is fully charged. Try not to use a phone if possible.
    Confirm that your webcam and microphone are allowed and work correctly in your chosen browser.
    Test your internet connection to ensure it is strong and working.
    If using headphones, make sure they are connected and selected prior.
    At the beginning of the interview, verify that the interviewer can hear and see you.
    Close other programs on your computer. Getting notifications during your interview is distracting and unprofessional. Before your interview, ensure all other computer windows are closed, and notifications are silenced or turned off.
    Switch your other devices onto silent mode; however, have your phone handy if your interviewer is having technical difficulties or trying to reach out via phone or email.
    If you need any accessibility accommodations or are concerned about the required virtual platform not being fully accessible for you, please let the recruiter at Bridgestone know. We will reach out to discuss how to best support you.

    Prepare Your Space
    Conduct your interview in a quiet, well-lit environment, without a backlight or window that may put you in a shadow.
    Find a place with a simple backdrop or blank wall to eliminate distractions and put the focus on you.
    Avoid taking an interview from your vehicle. If it is the only quiet place you can find, DO NOT attempt to interview while driving or in a moving vehicle; our recruiters will end the call. After all, at Bridgestone, we make safety a business value.

    Smile for the Camera
    Look at the camera. Looking directly at the video camera (not the screen) is the only way to maintain direct eye contact with your interviewer.
    Try to focus on sitting up straight and making eye contact. At the beginning of the interview, verify that the interviewer can hear and see you.
    Be mindful of your body language. Not all physical cues translate from in-person interviews to video interviews. Be sure to have good posture and stay engaged.
    Silence any other technology, i.e. smart watches; you don’t want to be distracted or appear disinterested during your interview."

    When the interview ends, whether virtual or in person, you can ask what to expect as the next step in the process. The person conducting the interview can let you know if there are additional interviews to expect or if you will hear from HR with a decision as to whether you have been chosen for the role.

    We ask that you be patient as we may have several candidates to interview, but we value your time and will offer the professional courtesy of a response either way. Also, if you are no longer interested in the role or have accepted another role, please notify your recruiter so they can remove you from the interview process.

    Join Our Talent Community

    As a member of our Talent Community, you will receive access to news, events and career opportunities at Bridgestone. Sign up now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us.

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