Category Manager - FMCG Food

Category Manager / Assistant Brand Manager

A creative, customer facing, data savvy category expert is the small wish list for this big role! You will be responsible for creating, developing and implementing strategic category management relationships with key grocery accounts and optimizing the way in which the portfolio of brands is brought to market. In addition there will be an opportunity to assist the marketing team in delivering marketing plans for the brand in the UK.

• c. £42,000 p.a.
• 7.5% bonus
• Car Allowance
• Private Health Insurance – Cash Allowance

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Mainly focusing on UK market, you will contribute to all cross functional actions related to consumers and offers marketing support to UK team.
• Assisting the team in driving thorough data analysis and generating sound commercially viable recommendations and driving the brand forward creatively.

Category

• Develop plans at an operational level in order to build specified categories of business within the customer to deliver short and long term company, customer and consumer objectives
• Develop projects with the internal team to ensure future growth of the business
• Developing and implementing category strategy for the customer by working closely with the customer to identify opportunities
• Develop key shopper insights to identify best practice, future retail trends and areas of opportunity
• Execution of category business plans with the customer by developing and driving joint business plans in conduction with the sales team
• To present to both the customer and the internal key stakeholders regularly to establish a strong working relationship and influence their actions in driving the plan forward
• Conduct regular reviews of business performance, promotion strategies, planograms

Brand Marketing

• Support the MD in developing brand strategy and plan. Lead and manage implementation.
• Continue to develop digital platform (website, social media), recommending new tools/activities, where appropriate.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Industry, trade and customer practices
• Trade planning process
• Retailer pricing and positioning strategies
• Sales forecasting process – SAP
• Attention to detail (data accuracy, respect of timeline, copy/artwork checking …)
• Strong analytics, knowledge in Nielsen analysis
• Ability to transform data analysis into recommendations and action plans, business priorities.
• Ability to manage external agencies to achieve activation plans.
• Creativity (both for activity, design, NPD)
• Commercially acute (understanding of UK trade/retailers)
• Strong drive (project management) and enthusiasm to achieve and perform.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with proven ability to effectively communicate cross functionally within company and the customer
• Strong analytical skills, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills
• Ability to challenge retailers, trading teams and other stakeholders
• Flexible approach to people, projects and assignments

PIE Recruitment gets straight to the point – we don’t just find great individuals – we build great teams. With specialist delivery across the Sales & Marketing spectrum we offer insight and expertise into the Consumer, Retail, Technology, Automotive and Business to Business Markets.

Founded by an experienced team with a passion for customer experience and effective delivery we provide the full range of recruitment solutions – contingent, retained search, advertised selection, talent pooling and discrete, informative market mapping.

For our clients we live and breathe your cultures, provide open and honest consultation and strive at every turn to be an extension of your business. Without this we would just be another recruiter, lost in a sea of mediocrity and adding no value.

For our candidates we are in a position to offer genuine insight and advice, having supported the career progression of thousands of candidates across the UK and Europe. For us, you are not just another applicant but someone who we will guide and represent in an engaging fashion, each and every time.

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