We are looking for an experienced Category Development Manager to manage the overall category strategy of Ferrero and Thorntons products across the Adult and Kids Seasonal confectionery category. 
This exciting role is the critical point between our retail buyers and the insight required to deliver real business wins. The successful Category Development Manager will build crucial relationships based upon insight and trust, influencing our key customers to engage in category growth opportunities. 

About our business

As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Today, the Ferrero Group is present in 53 countries, and its products are sold in more than 160 countries. We have a global workforce of over 34,000 permanent and temporary employees, a global portfolio and our consolidated net turnover is over €11 billion Euros. 

As we continue to grow our brands and demonstrate our passion across the world, we have been proud to welcome Thorntons to our family. With over 100 years of heritage in the UK, Thorntons share our passion for ensuring every product continues to delight and excite our customers. 

This is a truly exciting time to join our business as we use our shared values, experience and passion to write the next chapter in our story. 

Key Responsibilities 

As a successful Category Development Manager you will develop and own the category management relationship with key accounts in the Adult and Kids Seasonal confectionery category by taking our overall category strategy, drivers and tactics and customising these as required by using retailer specific insight, in order to gain advantage for our brands in our customers. 

Your key deliverables will be;

To drive results in the following areas by establishing ourselves as key category influencers with our customers: 

•    Retailer engagement strategy – to build relationships with the key customers by identifying category opportunities using our category strategy, developing customer specific tactics to unlock the category drivers in the relevant accounts and tracking customer progress against these drivers 

•    Become the go to partner for our key retailers on category projects such as range reviews, seasonal strategy, promotional evaluations etc.

•    Win the 50/50 decisions.  By being partner of choice, Ferrero benefits through distribution, ranging and availability across our brands when working on the key projects across retailers.

•    Drive the internal agenda for your area.  Influencing peers and senior management to understand the category journey and how we win in this area.  Continue to demonstrate big team wins from having strong category relationships.

•    Develop the Ferrero plan.  Play a key role in Ferrero 5 year planning as well as our key internal selling processes to bring the voice and experience of our retailers into internal thinking.

About you

You will have achieved success in a similar role or within an insight led agency. You are able to tell a compelling category story and will have a good understanding in all areas of category management and analysis. You never stand still and continuously look for ways to improve your own performance and that of your wider team and ultimately, the business. The operational aspects of the role are second nature and you thrive on tenaciously raising the bar. As an agent for change people look to you to give direction and challenge mediocracy whilst working hard to build and drive high performance.

If you would like to make a difference in a fast paced and dynamic business who truly values its people, introduce yourself to us today via our careers site by clicking the 'APPLY' button