Category Development Manager - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

As a Category Development Manager you will be part of the Category Development and Shopper Marketing team, which forms part of the wider Sales function. You will report to the Demand Accelerator Controller working cross functionally with other departments to deliver the Coffee Category goals.

Primarily, as a Customer Category Development Manager you are accountable for leading the category vision & strategy, analysis of shopper behaviour and opportunities, range reviews and developing and implementing customer specific category plans in co-operation with the customer, National Account Manager and Sales Controller.

You will deliver and implement the category ‘Big Rock’ JDE priorities including our ‘love’ and ‘launch’ NPD, ensuring they are “Ready to Sell”.

Delivering best in class Category Management for 2 priority (Top 4 grocery) customers

External

• Develop a trusted relationship with your customers to ensure JDE is their supplier of choice, via regular in person contact.
• Tailor the JDE Category Vision to align to your customers’ strategy to deliver long-term coffee category growth both for JDE and your customer, as identified in the Value Creation Plan and Brand Plans. Monitor the implementation and defined targets.
• Lead on going promotional analysis, identifying what to stop, start or continue in order to maximise promotional effectiveness for JDE and your customers – in collaboration with sales, category strategy / RGM and your buyer.
• Advise sales on the distribution and assortment strategy as well as developing customer specific planograms, if required.
• Full range review support for the customer – in store and online – proactively managing this conversation through-out the year.
• On-going evaluation of range, space, sales driving activity and advising both the national account manager and the customer on how they can increase sales and profit. Regular performance reports with key insights / actions
• Deliver quarterly PQA’s (Product Quadrant Analysis) and collaboratively manage under-performing skus with the customer and internally
• Deliver a quarterly Coffee Market Insights deck for your customer regarding future trends, customer competitor executions etc. and lead a bi-annual category opp / vision (including coffee education)
• Deliver the annual customer brand planning day – tailored for your customers.
• Cascade best in class category management principles to the wider category development team

Internal (for your customers only)

• Own the customer range review calendar and ensure alignment with marketing and other key stakeholders on optimum launch dates and customer shelf requirements.
• Work with category strategy and brand teams to successfully implement NPD’s and re-launches, to ensure distribution, market share and profit.
• Feed into Perfect Store reporting for your customers – identifying areas to action.
• PQA quarterly – proactively manage risk skus internally
• Input to monthly commercial reviews for your customers - performance, risk and ops.
• Deliver / input the category elements of the annual customer business planning process.
• Collaborate with shopper on activation and evaluation

This role would suit a graduate with a minimum of 4 years-experience predominately gained in Category Development, Buying or Account Management roles in FMCG:

• Deep knowledge of UK retail shoppers and customers in Top 4 grocery (Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons)
• Proven at working in x-functional teams, especially across sales and marketing
• Marketing literate, able to navigate strategic consumer and brand strategy and executional, commercial detail to develop an integrated strategy
• Has knowledge of several information system tools (Nielsen, IRI, Kantar, Dunnhumby etc)

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