Job Description

About Cuzena

Cuzena is a bold, modern food brand built on founder family heritage, big ambition and an unrelenting drive to do things differently. We are proud of who we are, where we are going and the culture we are intentionally building along the way.

This is a place where energy matters. Where you can be yourself, speak up, roll your sleeves up and genuinely enjoy the work you do. We celebrate wins, back each other and build brands together, with a strong sense of connection to what we are creating.

About the opportunity

We are looking for an Interim Exec with strong commercial and financial capability to join Cuzena on a fixed term contract, with a shared mindset around building for the long term and feeling genuinely part of the journey.

This is a hybrid role that combines brand leadership with financial control. You will take ownership of a defined portfolio across chilled snacks and ambient sauces, while also playing a central role in managing budgets, performance and commercial decision making across the brand.

This is a hands on, all rounder role with real responsibility, visibility and influence, ideal for someone who enjoys both building brands and owning the numbers behind them.

The role

You will develop and deliver brand and communications plans that drive profitable growth, working closely with Sales, Operations, Category and the Creative Director.

Alongside this, you will act as a commercial partner to the founder and in house sales team, owning key elements of financial planning, forecasting and performance management.

You will lead end to end NPD projects, ensuring both brand ambition and commercial viability, manage budgets and track performance, and turn insight into action across consumer, customer and shopper activity.

You will also play a key role in shaping one to two year brand plans by route to market, ensuring plans are commercially sound and financially disciplined, helping to lay foundations that last beyond the contract itself.

Brand and commercial responsibilities

Own brand strategy and execution across a defined product portfolio Lead consumer, customer and shopper marketing plans aligned to commercial goals Act as a commercial controller for the brand, with ownership of budgets, forecasts and spend tracking Manage and track brand P and L performance, working closely with the founder and sales team Develop and maintain forecasts, budget phasing and variance analysis Ensure marketing investment delivers clear return and supports margin targets Lead end to end NPD projects, balancing creativity with cost, margin and feasibility Support pricing, promotional and launch decisions using data and financial insight Build clear reporting and dashboards using tools such as Excel and AI enabled systems

Skills and experience

Brand management experience within an FMCG food and drink business Comfortable operating as an all rounder within a small, fast moving team, working closely with the founder and in house sales Strong commercial acumen with a clear understanding of P& L drivers, margin, pricing and cost structures Highly numerate, confident working with budgets, forecasts, performance reporting and financial analysis Highly organised with strong administrative discipline and attention to detail Experience developing and delivering brand, consumer and shopper marketing plans End to end NPD experience, from ideation through to launch, with strong cost and margin control Confident agency brief writer with experience managing creative, media, shopper and PR partners Experience working with UK grocery retailers, ideally with exposure to wholesale, food service or out of home Strong project management skills with excellent follow through Advanced Excel capability and comfort using tools such as Monday, Adobe, Microsoft Teams and Google Drive Genuine interest in adopting AI, automation and tools to improve efficiency, forecasting and decision making Proactive, dependable and comfortable owning both the detail and the bigger picture in a founder driven business

Why Cuzena

Cuzena is at an exciting stage of growth. As a founder driven business, decisions are made with people in mind as much as performance. We care deeply about how we build, not just what we deliver.

You will work closely with the founder, with real ownership, trust and visibility. This is a role where your judgement shapes both the brand and the commercial foundations behind it.

The team is small, ambitious and supportive, creating a culture where people back each other and work towards a shared vision. Collaboration is real, pace is energising and success is shared.

If you want to build brands, own the numbers and feel genuinely connected to what you are creating, Cuzena is a place where you can be part of the build.

Job Type: Temp to perm
Contract length: 6-12 months

Pay: 35,000.00-40,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person