Sr Manager - Consumer Relations

Overview

The role is responsible for leading and evolving the Consumer Relations (CR) function for both Foods and Beverages in India, ensuring a best-in-class consumer experience that protects brand reputation and builds consumer trust. The incumbent will drive strategy, capability building, partner management, and analytics to ensure timely, effective, and consumer-centric resolution of queries, complaints, and feedback.

Responsibilities

Key Responbilities

1. Responsible for maintaining an effective Consumer Relations function for both beverages and foods by having the right people, right structure, and right tools and processes for Quality, Trade and others
2. Be the owner of the consumer satisfaction and be responsible for building reputation for the Organization by acting as a conscious keeper between consumers/customers and the organization.
3. Develop Consumer Relations Strategies for a robust function with clear processes and strict timelines.

Building Capabilities

1. To ensure that both internal and external teams are regularly trained on team processes and refreshers. It also includes CR processes, company and product information, validity, quality processes, sales processes, consumer contest FAQs, and CR software trainings.
2. To train both Beverages Franchise quality teams on consumer relations mandates and soft skills.
3. To train Foods PSRs and CEs on processes and product handling and storage mandates

Reporting and Analytics

1. To provide consistent and insightful reports to internal stakeholders. Be sensitive to gauge the sensitivity of issues, take corrective action and escalate to right stakeholders like legal, SRA, R&D and Comms teams. It is not only about product quality or food safety issues but also about feedback on new product launches or formulation change.
2. Regular connect with sales and quality teams of both foods and beverages (including plant locations) on food safety and serious quality issues being reported from them.

External Partners

1. Close connect with external stakeholders to ensure 100% processes to be followed by them and meeting all turnaround times. Work with them on bringing better efficiencies in the ways of working. Since the sensitivity of escalations have gone multifold due to consumer awareness and social media, it is important to be extremely vigil in gauging the sensitivity and dealing with such escalations.

Others

1. Work closely with global Consumer Experience teams to understand new innovations like systems, processes, approved statements, etc. and bring the best practices for India team
2. To share India Consumer Relations best practices with the three India countries - Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and help them create Consumer Relations Function to ensure regionalization of Consumer Experience across the region.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in leading Consumer Relations, Customer Experience, or Quality/Regulatory interface roles
• Prior experience in FMCG, Consumer Goods, Retail, or Food & Beverage sectors is essential
• Demonstrated experience managing external vendors and internal cross-functional stakeholders