AddressThis 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
