What’s sparking movement in FMCG brand and marketing teams?
posted 21 Aug 25
As we move through H2, there’s a noticeable early lift in hiring across brand and marketing functions, particularly in midsize and challenger FMCG businesses operating in grocery, personal care, and pet care.
This isn’t just seasonal noise. It’s a signal that brands are getting ahead of Q4 earlier than usual, locking in the talent they’ll need to drive performance through the year-end and into 2026.
Challenger brands aren’t waiting
Traditionally, September has been the flashpoint for brand marketing hires but this year activity has spiked earlier. Midsize FMCG brands, especially those in growth mode, are accelerating timelines to build capacity ahead of major seasonal campaigns, retailer negotiations, and NPD launches.
The shift isn’t accidental. As pressure mounts to grow share in a cost-conscious market, brands are leaning on marketing to drive short-term volume and longer-term brand equity. That’s prompting a wave of proactive hiring, particularly in roles that touch innovation, trade marketing, and customer/channel strategy.
What’s driving the early movement?
Several factors are converging to drive this earlier-than-usual demand:
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Tighter planning windows: With lead times for campaigns shortening and agility at a premium, brands want teams in place before Q4, not during.
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Retailer expectations: Supermarkets and major e-commerce platforms are raising the bar on supplier readiness. Having marketing fully staffed and aligned with sales is now essential.
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Talent scarcity: The competition for experienced FMCG marketers remains fierce, especially in the £45K–£75K range. Waiting until later in the year means missing the top passive candidates.
Roles in motion
Across the UK, US and EU, the FMCG talent market is shifting gears. The fastest-moving opportunities are sitting firmly at the intersection of brand, commercial, and digital. It’s not just about filling jobs; it’s about fuelling growth, and the roles in highest demand reflect that.
There’s been a noticeable shift in how roles are scoped and filled. A trend emerging across multiple markets is the “SNAM-to-NAM downgrade” as companies often start by advertising for a Senior National Account Manager, then pivot to hire a more junior NAM instead. Why? Cost consciousness. Larger FMCG players are favouring up-and-comers who’ll take a lower salary and grow into the role.
Meanwhile, we’re seeing a sharp uptick in demand for Technical Managers and NPD roles, as well as Category Managers who can turn data into action. On the digital front, eCommerce and D2C acquisition roles are gaining serious traction, particularly in performance marketing specialisms like PPC, paid social, and CRM for retention.
International Sales is another hotspot, especially within challenger brands backed by VC or PE investment. These companies are targeting rapid growth across borders and need commercially minded operators to make it happen.
Retail Development is also on the up, with brands aggressively pursuing listings in grocery and pet retail channels.
While the bulk of hiring is still focused on hands-on executional talent (Account Managers, Category Managers, Performance Marketers) we’re also seeing a gradual rise in leadership hires, especially in high-growth D2C businesses ready to scale.
What’s consistent across the board? Companies want more than titleholders. They’re looking for people with digital confidence, commercial IQ, and the ability to drive performance across multiple touchpoints. Capability is key and those who can influence across functions, move fast, and make data-driven decisions are setting the pace.
Who’s hiring and why now?
The early birds aren’t the global corporates with ten-layer sign-off processes. It’s the agile midsize and challenger brands that are taking the initiative. Those with leaner structures, fast innovation cycles, and a clear growth agenda.
Food, pet, and personal care brands are leading the charge, often with one or more of the following triggers:
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A shift from distributor-led models to owned teams
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Repositioning for premiumisation or new product lines
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Expansion into new channels (particularly digital and DTC)
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Internal promotions creating gaps at brand manager level
These brands are acting now because they know the cost of waiting isn’t just time, it’s missed opportunity.
What this means for hiring managers
If you’re planning to add to your marketing team, now is the time to start the conversation. Waiting until post-summer means competing with a bigger crowd for a smaller pool of ready-now candidates.
And for talent, this is a smart window to explore new roles. Many brands are still finalising budgets, which gives experienced marketers room to shape the opportunity, and even the remit.
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