Category Manager 

Category Manager 

Do you want to work with one of the UK’s Top 100 Brands? Are you looking for a role where you can make a significant impact with future career progression? Does working in a fast paced, environment where everyone has a passion for what they do excite you? If so, read on!

The Advocate Group are partnered with a multimillion pound turnover FMCG business who are leaders in their field. They are family owned with a number of household name brands and a focus on collaborative working, people development and that all-important passion for food! 

They are presently looking for a Category Manager to work as part of a cross functional team on the Grocery Channel and champion the use of insight as a category growth driver. This would be a varied role sat in the wider commercial team where you would gain experience across the Top 4 with opportunity to grow the category and drive conversion.

Primary responsibilities:

• Develop relationships with the Top 4 based on credibility and trust.
• Act as a category advisor, developing and delivering annual category strategy and plans to identify significant category opportunities for each retailer.
• Provide regular data updates to drive the category forward. 
• Present compelling category selling stories and effectively handle objections to shape retailers category thinking so that they act upon and implement category recommendations. 
• Work with the relevant NAMs to support key account strategic objectives.
• Interpret and utilise category data to grow sales. 
• Understand the key trends and dynamics shaping Grocery, Fresh and Chilled and the implications that has for the category and competitors.
• Responsible for generating insights on evolution in structure of the grocery market & in particular continue to investigate how to develop in the online world. 
• Lead and facilitate cross functional category projects (internally and externally) managing multiple stakeholders. 
• Responsible for reviewing the results of commercial initiatives to determine their effectiveness vs objectives. 
• Support the Category and Business Insight Team Manager in the oversight of relationships with IRI, Kantar, Dunnhumby and other Shopper Research agencies as relevant.

The successful candidate:

• Educated to degree level, ideally in Marketing, Business or Statistics.
• 3 Years + Category Management/Commercial experience within an FMCG environment.
• Experience of working with Top 5 UK Multiple Grocers is preferred.
• A good understanding of Category management principles.
• Evidence of developing and executing category strategies, tactics and plans in partnership with grocery retailers (Range, Promotion, Merchandising, Price).
• Understands key retailer trends within the market, retailer trading processes, systems and ways of working. 
• Planning/processes within retail accounts, including experience of the ranging and space planning process. 
• Knowledge and experience of using IRI/Nielson EPOS data and Kantar/Scantrack consumer panel data. 
• Strong analytical skills and highly numerate with the ability to turn data into actionable strategy and insights. 
• Comfortable working with large amounts of complex data and information from a variety of sources. 

This position provides the opportunity to immediately add value and make a tangible impact with future progression opportunities.

To apply directly please send a copy of your CV and cover letter through to Emilie.gregson@advocate-group.co.uk or alternatively please apply via the link below.

Whilst we will always endeavour to respond to you, due to the high levels of applications we receive this isn’t always possible. If you are not contacted within 3 working days, you have unfortunately not been shortlisted for this role. 

Please note The Advocate Group is acting as an employment agency & business.  Any direct or third party applications will be handled by The Advocate Group.