Senior Category Manager

Senior Category Manager The Business: Alexander Steele are working in partnership with leading branded FMCG business based in Scotland. An award-winning business, they are very much a leader in their category. They supply a wide range of markets including the UK’s major retailers. The business is growing, and they have created a new position within the Category Marketing team. Purpose & Responsibilities: Category Insight • Support the Commercial Planning Controller in the development and delivery of an industry leading category vision, and POP vision, and lead its translation (with sales) into customers. • Collaborate with the Commercial Planning Controller to ensure the business has a clear view of best practice at the POP and that this is translated into meaningful guidance for our retail and RTM partners. • Support the delivery of rolling commercial planning process to delivery category, shopper, and channel insight to enable the setting of space and distribution targets. • Develop actionable category insight and thought leadership with customers, and internally across the group. • Create and provide category merchandising recommendations to customers that drive category growth and are aligned to the point of purchase principles and vision. • Support the Brand team in delivering category leading shopper and channel insight and ensure this is communicated in an engaging way to customers. • Work with Commercial Finance & Sales team to provide promotion strategy guidance based on optimising brand and profit metrics. • Through the category team, deliver monthly reporting to key internal and external stakeholders to deliver market, category, customer, and brand insight with actionable recommendations. Building and Developing Relationships • Through proactive category thought leadership, become to ‘go to’ supplier partner for key retailers. • Delivery and co-ordination of all customer range reviews across the category team, including providing support for customer range reviews via our distribution partner. • Build relationships and partnerships with key external category contacts across a prioritised list of customers within the retail and route to market channels, driving awareness of the group brands beyond customer buying teams. • Build relationships with sales colleagues supporting the development of joint business plans, providing the category insights and actionable recommendations required to successfully deliver commercial plans. • Collectively responsible for the commercialisation of NPD initiatives, working with Product Development & Brand Marketing colleagues to develop new products which have the consumer, shopper, and customer needs at the forefront. Brand Guardian • Act as “Brand Guardian”, ensuring that all activity delivered across channels and customers, fits with brand objectives and guidelines. Team Management • Day to day management, leadership, and development of 2 x Category Managers • Support and manage workloads across the category team. • Conduct monthly 1-2-1’s, and twice-yearly reviews as well as on-going coaching. What’s On Offer: £50k + car allow + bonus + excellent benefits. The position is a mix of home and office working. Commutable from most areas of Central Scotland. If you are interested in hearing more about it this position, please contact Greg on 07956 621 781 for a more in depth chat about the role. By applying for this role, you are agreeing to be registered with us in accordance to our T&C’s/Privacy Policy.