Brand Manager Jobs in Illinois
Brand Manager jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, with concentrated hiring in consumer packaged goods, retail, financial services, and healthcare marketing at levels from entry-level associate brand manager through senior and director roles. Chicago drives the vast majority of openings, with additional activity in Naperville and Schaumburg, where major corporate campuses anchor the suburban market. Established Illinois employers like Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, and Walgreens consistently hire brand managers across digital, shopper, and portfolio marketing specialties. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 44+ Brand Manager jobs
The Opportunity:
The Maria Nila Brand Manager owns the growth, education, and in-market presence of Maria Nila across Premier Beauty Supply's four-state territory. This is a hybrid sales, education, and brand-stewardship role: you are the internal expert who trains our Account Executives, the in-field partner who helps them open and grow accounts, and the face of the brand to salon owners and stylists throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Maria Nila is a 100% vegan, cruelty-free Swedish haircare, and color brand, and one of Premier's most important growth platforms. Success in this role is measured by retail and color revenue growth, new door acquisition, and the depth of product knowledge and confidence our field team and customers carry into every salon.
The position is field-based and headquartered in our Northbrook, IL Office. We are also accepting applicants from Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive growth of Maria Nila retail and color through new client acquisition and expansion of existing accounts.
- Provide in-field support alongside Premier Account Executives, including joint calls, opening presentations, and account-level growth planning.
- Perform color demonstrations for prospective color accounts and convert them to the line.
- Partner with Account Executives to build and execute territory-level plans that hit brand revenue and distribution targets.
- Identify at-risk accounts and lead re-engagement efforts in partnership with the field team.
- Train Premier employees on Maria Nila's culture, positioning, product portfolio, and programs.
- Facilitate Product Knowledge and Color Foundational classes for stylists and salon teams.
- Own and support Maria Nila in-market education, classes, and events across the territory.
- Onboard, develop, and manage the Maria Nila educator team.
- Support Premier's Education Department with Maria Nila education planning, calendar integration, and content.
- Serve as the point person for all Maria Nila field-support and internal questions.
- Present new launches, promotions, and incentives to the Account Executive team.
- Support social media efforts with Premier's marketing team on all Maria Nila content, campaigns, and launch activity.
- Act as primary liaison to the Maria Nila brand team; communicate market feedback, competitive insight, and program performance.
- Represent Maria Nila at trade shows, distributor events, and industry functions as needed.
- Track and report on brand performance, education attendance, event ROI, and new door activity.
- Manage the Maria Nila education and event budget, including sample and support-product allocation.
- Maintain accurate records of field activity, account visits, and follow-ups in Premier's systems.
- Contribute to forecasting, promotional planning, and inventory recommendations for the brand.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Required
- Active cosmetology license.
- 3+ years of professional beauty industry experience in salon, distribution, or brand education.
- Demonstrated behind-the-chair color proficiency and the ability to perform live color demonstrations.
- Proven ability to present and teach confidently to groups of 10–50 stylists.
- Valid driver's license, reliable personal vehicle, and clean driving record.
- Ability to travel overnight 50–75% of the time within IL, IN, MI, and OH.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and comfort learning CRM and order-entry systems.
- Ability to lift and transport education kits, product cases, and event materials up to 40 lbs.
Preferred
- Prior experience as a brand manager, brand educator, platform artist, or distributor sales representative.
- Experience launching or growing a haircare or color brand.
- Existing salon relationships within the Midwest territory.
- Familiarity with vegan, clean-beauty, or sustainability-led brand positioning.
- Social media content creation experience in a professional beauty context.
- Experience managing a freelance or part-time educator team.
Physical Requirements:
- Frequent driving and overnight travel; regular air travel.
- Extended periods standing while teaching, demonstrating, or working the floor at events.
- Regular exposure to salon products, including hair color and lightener.
What It’s Like to Work Here:
- Salary: $60,000 to $65,000
- Incentive: Bonus Opportunities
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance!
- Life and AD&D, Long-Term Disability, and Short-Term Disability Insurance.
- Paid Time Off.
- Pre-Tax and Roth 401k with a Company Match.
- Employee Salon (free color, haircuts, and more!).
- 40% Discount on Products.
- Friday Breakfast (in our home office and warehouse).
- Our Values: Family First, People Matter, Forward Thinking and Open-Minded.
Feel free to familiarize yourself with us at www.premierbeautysupply.com!
Premier Beauty is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion national origin, sex, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time with or without notice at the sole discretion of Premier Beauty Supply
The Opportunity:
The Maria Nila Brand Manager owns the growth, education, and in-market presence of Maria Nila across Premier Beauty Supply's four-state territory. This is a hybrid sales, education, and brand-stewardship role: you are the internal expert who trains our Account Executives, the in-field partner who helps them open and grow accounts, and the face of the brand to salon owners and stylists throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Maria Nila is a 100% vegan, cruelty-free Swedish haircare, and color brand, and one of Premier's most important growth platforms. Success in this role is measured by retail and color revenue growth, new door acquisition, and the depth of product knowledge and confidence our field team and customers carry into every salon.
The position is field-based and headquartered in our Northbrook, IL Office. We are also accepting applicants from Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive growth of Maria Nila retail and color through new client acquisition and expansion of existing accounts.
- Provide in-field support alongside Premier Account Executives, including joint calls, opening presentations, and account-level growth planning.
- Perform color demonstrations for prospective color accounts and convert them to the line.
- Partner with Account Executives to build and execute territory-level plans that hit brand revenue and distribution targets.
- Identify at-risk accounts and lead re-engagement efforts in partnership with the field team.
- Train Premier employees on Maria Nila's culture, positioning, product portfolio, and programs.
- Facilitate Product Knowledge and Color Foundational classes for stylists and salon teams.
- Own and support Maria Nila in-market education, classes, and events across the territory.
- Onboard, develop, and manage the Maria Nila educator team.
- Support Premier's Education Department with Maria Nila education planning, calendar integration, and content.
- Serve as the point person for all Maria Nila field-support and internal questions.
- Present new launches, promotions, and incentives to the Account Executive team.
- Support social media efforts with Premier's marketing team on all Maria Nila content, campaigns, and launch activity.
- Act as primary liaison to the Maria Nila brand team; communicate market feedback, competitive insight, and program performance.
- Represent Maria Nila at trade shows, distributor events, and industry functions as needed.
- Track and report on brand performance, education attendance, event ROI, and new door activity.
- Manage the Maria Nila education and event budget, including sample and support-product allocation.
- Maintain accurate records of field activity, account visits, and follow-ups in Premier's systems.
- Contribute to forecasting, promotional planning, and inventory recommendations for the brand.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Required
- Active cosmetology license.
- 3+ years of professional beauty industry experience in salon, distribution, or brand education.
- Demonstrated behind-the-chair color proficiency and the ability to perform live color demonstrations.
- Proven ability to present and teach confidently to groups of 10–50 stylists.
- Valid driver's license, reliable personal vehicle, and clean driving record.
- Ability to travel overnight 50–75% of the time within IL, IN, MI, and OH.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and comfort learning CRM and order-entry systems.
- Ability to lift and transport education kits, product cases, and event materials up to 40 lbs.
Preferred
- Prior experience as a brand manager, brand educator, platform artist, or distributor sales representative.
- Experience launching or growing a haircare or color brand.
- Existing salon relationships within the Midwest territory.
- Familiarity with vegan, clean-beauty, or sustainability-led brand positioning.
- Social media content creation experience in a professional beauty context.
- Experience managing a freelance or part-time educator team.
Physical Requirements:
- Frequent driving and overnight travel; regular air travel.
- Extended periods standing while teaching, demonstrating, or working the floor at events.
- Regular exposure to salon products, including hair color and lightener.
What It’s Like to Work Here:
- Salary: $60,000 to $65,000
- Incentive: Bonus Opportunities
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance!
- Life and AD&D, Long-Term Disability, and Short-Term Disability Insurance.
- Paid Time Off.
- Pre-Tax and Roth 401k with a Company Match.
- Employee Salon (free color, haircuts, and more!).
- 40% Discount on Products.
- Friday Breakfast (in our home office and warehouse).
- Our Values: Family First, People Matter, Forward Thinking and Open-Minded.
Feel free to familiarize yourself with us at www.premierbeautysupply.com!
Premier Beauty is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion national origin, sex, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time with or without notice at the sole discretion of Premier Beauty Supply
See All 44 Brand Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Brand Manager JobsBrand Manager Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Brand Manager Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
- Sports & Recreation
- Chemicals & Materials
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in brand manager jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or a related business field
- Experience developing and executing integrated brand or marketing campaigns
- Proficiency with marketing analytics tools and performance reporting platforms
- Cross-functional collaboration with sales, creative, and product development teams
- Strong project management skills with ability to handle multiple brand initiatives
- Familiarity with consumer insights research and translating findings into strategy
Brand Manager Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a brand manager in Illinois?
Brand managers in Illinois are not required to hold a state-issued license or certification, so entry comes through education and experience. Most Illinois employers expect a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or communications, often paired with a few years in a related role such as marketing coordinator, account executive, or product analyst. Building a portfolio of campaign results and earning certifications from professional marketing associations strengthens candidacy significantly in Chicago's competitive market.
How much do brand managers make in Illinois?
Brand managers in Illinois earn a median of about $162,860 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $95,990 for the lowest 10% to over $276,340 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire brand managers in Illinois?
Employers hiring brand managers in Illinois right now include Kraft Heinz, Kimberly-Clark, and AbbVie, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of consumer goods headquarters and retail corporate offices means brand management roles here frequently involve national or global portfolio responsibilities rather than regional campaigns alone.
Which Illinois cities have the most brand manager jobs?
Chicago, Northbrook, and Vernon Hills have the most brand manager openings in Illinois. Chicago leads decisively because it is home to the North American headquarters of major consumer packaged goods, foodservice, and retail companies, while Naperville and Schaumburg benefit from large corporate campuses that relocated or expanded into Chicago's western suburbs, creating meaningful demand outside the city core.
Are there remote brand manager jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than many marketing roles, brand management lends itself to hybrid or fully remote arrangements because the work centers on strategy, creative direction, and stakeholder communication rather than on-site production. About 61% of brand manager openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting a broad industry shift toward flexible work for marketing professionals. Campaign strategy, briefing, and analytics work are the functions most commonly performed off-site.
How can I get hired as a brand manager in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a marketing coordinator or assistant brand manager role at one of Illinois's large consumer goods or retail companies, then building toward a brand manager title from within. Kraft Heinz, Abbott, and Discover Financial all run structured early-career marketing programs in the Chicago area that accept new graduates. A portfolio showing campaign planning, social content, or product launch support, even from internships or freelance work, meaningfully improves your prospects over a resume alone.
Where can I find and apply to brand manager jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to brand manager jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, and other markets in the state. Find roles that fit your experience level and specialization and apply directly to each one.
See All 44 Brand Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Brand Manager Jobs