Customer Category Manager

You will be responsible for developing and deploying tailored channel and category plans at a customer level, including point of purchase solutions to deliver overall category performance resulting in market share growth for Nestlé, whilst ensuring impartiality with the customer. We are recruiting for a Customer Category Manager to join the team on a fixed‑term contract, reporting into the Customer Category Lead. This is an exciting and pivotal role that will see you develop, manage and execute our customer category plans working in partnership with one of the major multiples, discounters, bargain stores or convenience retailers. We are ideally looking for an experienced professional who has the ability to be category centric, always ‘put the category first’ ensuring we operate as a partner to our customers. Key Responsibilities Build great external relationships, become the leader of our customers’ thinking and actions, and be their first port of call as a trusted source for Buying / Merchandising / Ranging Teams regarding any category questions, insight and growth recommendations. Execute Nestlé category strategy, personalising it to meet the retailer’s needs and generate engagement and commitment. Successfully execute the category drivers for the channel within your customer via the delivery of the point of purchase (POP) Vision, through adjacency and flow recommendations at range reviews and throughout the year to deliver the Perfect Store. Deliver best‑in‑class insight to influence retailers to land best‑in‑class executions online & in store. Have a deep understanding of the role of the shopper across different store formats and online within your customer. Closely monitor industry and competitor activity, ensuring our strategic commercial vision is in line with market demands in a constantly changing, competitive environment. Work closely with internal teams at Nestlé to bring the outside in and ensure our NPD / brand pipelines suit the customer and consumer need. Have a great analytical approach to drive insight and transform data into compelling stories that drive actions and return on investment. Be curious to understand changing shopper dynamics and translate insights into clear recommendations that drive category growth. Ideally, have experience creating and selling winning category plans within an FMCG environment. Be resilient, adaptable, and demonstrate agility to solve challenges rapidly and creatively. Understand the importance and benefits of working customer‑centric. Be courageous, think differently and embrace new ideas. Love learning, understanding “why?” and share it externally and internally in a compelling way. Desire to step beyond the role to get involved in activities that benefit communities and groups we share support. Qualifications & Experience Category experience strongly preferred; breadth of commercial experience with a demonstrated ability to turn data into commercial outcomes is also acceptable. Proven delivery in a previous category role, with a passion for results, tenacity, and the ability to work in a highly energetic and exciting environment. Commercial awareness and experience of influencing across all levels internally and externally, ideally within a matrix structure. Experience of creating and selling winning category plans within an FMCG environment. Benefits Salary up to £45,000 pro rata depending on experience, potential bonus, and 12 flexible days in addition to holiday entitlement. Competitive salary and benefits package, bonus scheme, flexible working scheme, 25 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays plus up to an additional 12 days flex leave, bank holiday exchange, competitive pension scheme, and much more. Nestlé Confectionery is an exciting and forward‑thinking place to work. As part of the Nestlé Confectionery UK team, you could be working with some of the world’s best‑known and most‑loved brands, many of which have been enjoyed for generations. We strive to put the consumer at the heart of everything we do and deliver the best‑tasting and most permissible treats for consumers day after day. At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect. When we embrace diversity and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. People of all gender identities, ethnically diverse individuals, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT+ community are strongly encouraged to apply. If there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the application process, please let us know. We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity, our people make up a number of Colleague Networks who represent different experiences and communities who hold us accountable in creating a sense of belonging for all, and our values create the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution you bring. Find out more about our Colleague Networks here: Diversity, equity and inclusion | Nestlé (nestle.co.uk). We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process. Be yourself, everyone else is taken #J-18808-Ljbffr