Senior Category Manager Grocery UK

This is a fixed term role for 14 months to provide maternity cover.

Working Relationships

Internal

·       Reports into the Group Head of Category and Customer Marketing.

·       Works alongside Category, Brand and Customer Marketing.

·       To work as a cross functional team with Sales & the Customer Development teams.

External

·       Strategic partners, as required.

·       All necessary retailer contacts; (Senior) Buyers, Category planners, Merchandising, etc.

Responsibilities

·       To create, lead and embed Kepak group category vision and plans, implementing recommendations and solutions to benefit the business and customers.

·       Manage, develop and coach a Category Executive and support their customer engagement.

·       Lead the commercial agenda internally, influencing commercial planning and thinking for the channel.

·       Work with internal senior commercial stakeholders and the category controller to champion category-based selling and unlock channel opportunities with the retailers.   

·       Build compelling category selling stories to shape retailers’ thinking and sell the vison.

·       Interpret and utilise category data to grow sales, by interpreting the key trends and dynamics shaping Grocery, Fresh and Chilled and the wider implications for the category and competitors.

·       Lead cross functional category projects (internally and externally) managing multiple stakeholders.

·       To work with the relevant NAMs to support strategic objectives with the retailer.

·       Review the results of commercial initiatives to determine their effectiveness Vs category/ consumer/shopper objectives.

·       Manage relationships with strategic partners including Nielsen, Kantar, Dunnhumby, HIM, Shopper Research agencies etc. 

Requirements

·       Strong analytical and proficient in the use of external market data tools with the ability to turn data into insight

·       Experience of continuous and ad hoc shopper and consumer market data/ research. Knowledge and experience of using IRI/ Nielsen EPOS data and Kantar/ Scantrack consumer panel data is essential and Dunnhumby is preferred.

·       Good communication, relationship building and stakeholder management skills.  

·       Strong leadership skills, a strategic thinker, and a real team player

·       Experience in leading and developing high performing teams

·       Educated to degree level, ideally in marketing or business-related degree.

·       5+ years category management/ commercial experience within an FMCG environment

·       Proven influence and selling skills with an aptitude for producing compelling category insight presentations and recommendations.

·       Good understanding of Category management principles - understands the 8-step process and the triple win approach, demonstrates it in day-to-day activities.

·       Evidence of developing and executing category strategies, tactics, and plans in partnership with grocery retailers (range, promotion, merchandising, price).

·       A thorough understanding of retail, sales and how organisations work (including ranging and space planning).  

·       Advanced Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Benefits

• Annual bonus potential
• Car allowance
• BUPA Cash plan
• Values awards program
• Employee assistance program
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice pension plans
• Life assurance
• Subsidised canteen