Category Manager- Leading Brands

The Client

Our client is a leading Branded Player within the FMCG arena, they operate across several categories within the retail market and they stand at either 1st or 2nd in every specific fixture in which they operate. Their 5 year plan is simple and yet immeasurably challenging, to transform the very way in which their Categories are “defined” and “shopped” by the retailer and consumer alike. In order to assist in the delivery of this, they are seeking to appoint Trade/Customer Marketing Manager within their Customer Marketing team to focus upon Grocery Channel Channel.

The Role

As the Category Marketing/Category Manager Grocery, you will take the Lead in the development of the category strategy and vision to influence category development including range, space and merchandising plans. By heading strategic reviews you will identify the category drivers and formulate the category plans; including range and merchandise proposals.  You will also be challenged with growing the "Core" business YOY through Commercially astute merchandising plans alongside the development of longer-term Trade Marketing solutions. Not for the faint hearted, your leadership ability will be utilised through managing the leading Customers in Grocery and being the driving force of several matrix management projects.

Accountabilities:

• Provide whole category analysis, recommendations and advice based on solid insight internally and externally always championing what is best for the category. 
• Develop long term independent partnerships with key customers contacts – Proactively leading category meetings E.G. new buyer inductions, performance updates, range reviews, store trials and ad hoc projects.
• Provide clear useful and unique insight internally and externally from advanced data analysis, generating ideas that will drive growth or address performance issues for the category.
• Champion the Category Vision and contribute to the annual planning process, clearly guiding strategic direction for your accounts.
• Champion Data Usage - Utilising all available data resources including TNS/IRI/IGD/DH/LMG/Him ensuring 100% data accuracy on all data used.
• Create up to date retailer shelf plans and develop merchandising recommendations. To ensure fair share of space and optimal product placement is achieved via head office agreement or via equipping our field sales team.
• Within the Category team take on a Brand Champion role (Brands tbc) providing marketing with category advice, to help improve the “sell in” of must win activity and NPD.
• Within the category team take on specific responsibility for one of the following, macro trends, pricing and promotions, merchandising or ranging, developing expertise in this area.

As a reward this exciting role will progress your career towards the status of Trade/Category Marketing Controller in which you will take sole strategic responsibility for a “Core Category” area.

Candidate

Relevant Candidates will have ideally gained a strong level of exposure to Category/Trade Marketing or Insights Leading FMCG Businesses. In doing so they will be at ease with operating in an intellectually tough environment, where results are driven via a “hands on” approach. Being an International Player, successful candidates will have access to a strong and structured career path in Category Marketing, Consumer Marketing or even Commercial.