CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

That expectation defines what a Category Development Manager is hired to meet. Owning the space between manufacturer strategy and retailer execution, this role translates syndicated POS data, household panel metrics, and shopper segmentation research into planogram decisions, promotional guidelines, and annual category growth plans. The work is measured in distribution gains, share of shelf, and the quality of the category vision presented to buying teams across grocery, mass, and drug channels.

As the Category Development Manager, you translate consumer and shopper intelligence into category strategies that grow volume, share, and shelf presence for a defined portfolio of brands across retail customers. The role operates within a commercial or customer development team, partnering with retail buyers, internal brand managers, and shopper insights colleagues to align manufacturer priorities with retailer category objectives.

Career Impact: Demonstrated fluency in syndicated data interpretation and category captaincy positions a Category Development Manager as a recognized category authority with buyers, a credential that transfers across FMCG manufacturers and accelerates progression toward Director-level commercial roles.

Business Impact: The assortment recommendations and planogram solutions this role produces directly determine which products earn shelf space, making the Category Development Manager one of the most direct levers a manufacturer has over in-store revenue performance.

Growth Opportunity: Exposure to joint business planning, shopper segmentation strategy, and cross-functional commercial alignment builds the competency set that opens paths into Senior Category Manager, Trade Marketing Director, and National Account leadership roles.

• Lead category growth planning by synthesizing panel data, shopper segmentation research, and competitive analysis into annual customer business plans.
• Develop planogram and assortment recommendations that reflect current merchandising principles, retailer strategic direction, and operational shelf constraints.
• Build financial models covering add/delete scenarios, source-of-volume assumptions, and profitability impact across the managed category.
• Conduct category reviews with retail buying teams, presenting insight-led recommendations that address distribution gaps and promotional opportunities.
• Monitor weekly sales volume, distribution compliance, and panel metrics to identify trends and prepare concise action-oriented summaries for stakeholders.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing teams on new product launch sell-in stories, identifying listing opportunities and providing shelf placement rationale.
• Coordinate with internal shopper insights colleagues to commission and apply qualitative and quantitative consumer research to category business cases.
• Validate decisions made during modular review cycles, ensuring planogram execution aligns with agreed category strategy and compliance standards.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 3 or more years of category management or category development experience, with demonstrated ownership of customer-facing category plans.
• Proficiency in interpreting syndicated point-of-sale and household panel data to identify growth opportunities and root causes of sales trends.
• Proven ability to construct category stories and shopper insight narratives that influence retail buyer decisions.
• Strong financial modeling skills, including comfort building add/delete scenarios and source-of-volume analyses.
• Experience presenting to and collaborating with retail buying teams or account managers at multiple organizational levels.
• Demonstrated analytical acumen, including the ability to reconcile conflicting data sources and deliver clear, prioritized recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present independently without additional narration.

• Prior experience in a Category Captaincy or Category Validator role with a major retail account.
• Exposure to private label strategy, assortment planning, or new item development within a manufacturer or retailer environment.
• Familiarity with shopper marketing principles, including promotional strategy development and in-store visibility planning.
• Experience working within a joint business planning process across Sales, Finance, and Marketing functions.

• Distribution compliance rate, measuring how consistently recommended assortment decisions are executed on shelf.
• Weekly panel metric accuracy, reflecting the reliability of volume tracking and trend identification delivered to commercial teams.
• Share of shelf secured through planogram recommendations, compared against pre-review baseline for managed categories.
• Category review acceptance rate, tracking the proportion of buyer-presented recommendations adopted without significant modification.
• New item distribution gains within 12 weeks of launch, measuring sell-in effectiveness for NPD initiatives.
• Typical tools: Space management platforms (commonly planogram software); syndicated data platforms (commonly POS and household panel analysis tools).

• Base Salary Range: $85,000 to $115,000 annually, depending on experience and market.
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus typically 10% to 15% of base salary.
• Equity: Uncommon at this level; occasionally offered in smaller CPG companies.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer contribution typical.
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually plus standard US public holidays.
• Common Perks: Travel budget for retail customer visits, professional development allowance, and remote-hybrid flexibility in most CPG organizations.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Successful completion of a background check is required as a condition of employment. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process should notify the recruiting team at the time of application. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Category Development Manager delivers category growth for the Shave & Grooming business by analysing syndicated POS, Panel, and retail data alongside consumer and shopper insights to maximise volume and share objectives. Partnering with the buyer and buying team, this role shapes POG recommendations, 4P scorecards, and category plans that drive measurable results across assortment, shelf placement, and distribution.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop POG recommendations that make the shopping experience simple for the Walmart shopper by using current merchandising principals, Walmart strategic direction, operational efficiency requirements, and shopper research learnings.
• Build financial models based on add/delete recommendations and source of volume assumptions.
• Track sales volume, panel metrics, ratings reviews, and other required metrics on a weekly basis.
• Validate decisions made throughout the modular process at Walmart.
• Co-develop and manage the annual integrated customer business plan with the buying team to achieve agreed upon brand and customer growth strategies and objectives.
• Partner with the buyer to develop strategic category plans that attain volume and share objectives.
• Provide thought leadership in identifying business opportunities by leveraging consumer and shopper insights.
• Deliver Category Development principles and solutions objectively through use of customer internal scan and loyalty data, industry studies, and custom consumer/shopper research.
• Support category management growth through application of shelf management tools, point of sale systems, assortment tools, pricing tools, and panel data platforms with emphasis on category growth solution-based selling.
• Demonstrate expertise in category management and efficient assortment.
• Develop and strengthen relationships through objective presentation and active participation in weekly management updates, assortment reviews, and POG reviews.
• Utilize shelf management software and category expertise to recommend shelf placement for new and existing products with an objective of securing distribution and placement.
• Synchronize brand strategies and priorities for mutual benefit and execute new product initiatives accordingly.
• Develop scorecards and monitor execution of 4P activities in line with established objectives and guidelines.
• Lead discovery and articulation of new shopper insights and business opportunities derived from them.
• Participate in identifying and defining customer shopper segmentation and targeting strategies through understanding of loyalty dynamics and lifestyle segments.
• Monitor changes in the consumer and competitive environment for the buying team.

Required Qualifications

• Proficient in productivity software, syndicated data platforms, retail data systems, space management tools, and database management.
• Clear understanding of how to pull data from syndicated POS platforms, household panel data, and retailer data.
• Previous retail category management experience required.
• Prior Category Captaincy or Validator role preferred.
• Proficient in interpreting shopper and consumer research to drive category solutions development.
• Proven analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, uncover root causes of trends, and deliver concise action-oriented recommendations.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to develop category stories leveraging consumer and shopper knowledge from syndicated research sources.
• Understanding of qualitative and quantitative shopper and consumer insight surveys and how to apply them to business case scenarios.
• Understanding of retail advisory team principles and how to operate within their confidentiality expectations.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with the customer.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think objectively and strategically.
• Able to work independently and plan, organize, and set priorities effectively.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Capable of understanding an objective and delivering a clear presentation that stands alone without additional narration.

Embedded within the US Private Brands organization, the Category Development Manager leads short- and long-term strategic plans for meat and seafood categories across all A-D local brands, owning category business plans, assortment planning, and new item development. Working closely with Category leadership at every local banner and with strategic supplier partners, this role builds the innovation pipeline and drives PB sales, margin, and penetration at the category level.

Core Functions

• Serve as PB category general manager with deep product knowledge and an evolving understanding of customer needs and desires.
• Provide consultative insight and recommendations for ideal category assortment to support local brand goals and focus areas.
• Deliver category insights on competition, best-in-class programs, industry trends, and consumer trends to identify opportunity areas.
• Develop innovation across assigned categories and respond to new ideas and latest trends to meet or exceed brand shopper expectations.
• Apply learnings across all local brands for consultative partnership.
• Develop and present formal PB Category reviews, period scorecards, and category plans that drive business impact and decision-making.
• Stay informed on supplier performance.
• Partner with Category leadership at all US local brands to drive sales, profit, and penetration while ensuring private brand offerings support category growth plans.
• Oversee and influence category-level aspects related to private brands including product quality, financial performance, price, promotion, and placement.
• Actively participate in supplier meetings and contribute expertise in collaboration with internal professionals.
• Develop scorecards, performance metrics, and long-range plans with strategic supplier partners.
• Work with internal product excellence teams and strategic supplier partners to identify new product development opportunities and build an innovation pipeline.
• Develop and launch new PB products that meet consumer needs while offering strong competitive value.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in retail category management, specifically in meat and seafood.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in a category management role.
• Strong influencing and partnership abilities.
• Experience managing a team and demonstrating strong leadership and talent development capabilities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to interpret and react to syndicated data reports.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use reporting tools to derive insights from data.
• Demonstrated negotiation experience.
• High degree of credibility with the ability to work across all levels of management including Product Management and Category Management.

Reporting to category leadership, the Category Development Manager owns forecasting, financial analysis, and terms negotiations for an assigned portfolio of categories or brands within Consumables, with full accountability for revenue and profitability targets. Partnering with cross-functional teams and external vendors, this role builds vendor relationships and drives selection expansion opportunities that sustain long-term business growth.

Primary Duties

• Act as the new business developer for an assigned set of categories or brands within Consumables, with complete understanding of internal and external variables that impact the business.
• Own forecasting, analysis, and reporting on the business including prospecting, conversion, and terms negotiations.
• Conduct financial analysis of business opportunities to meet and exceed revenue and profitability targets.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the industry, seasonality, and business trends, and continually monitor competitor and industry developments.
• Maximize business and financial profitability through selection expansion opportunities.
• Maintain a complete understanding of customer needs, both existing and potential, and advocate for site features that deliver an unparalleled shopping experience.
• Build vendor and brand relationships as the primary point of contact for vendor onboarding.
• Ensure smooth transition to category teams once vendors are onboarded.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and communicate with internal and external parties while meeting tight deadlines.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Engineering, or Business.
• MBA or Finance accreditation with relevant business experience preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant senior-level experience in Tier 1 FMCG retail, account management, business finance, or business management and consulting with a proven track record of delivering results.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Tier 1 negotiations and building external relationships in a sales or new business development capacity.
• Established knowledge of the Consumables (FMCG) sector preferred.
• Demonstrated technical skills with an analytical and data-based approach to problem solving.
• Experience in SQL, data manipulation, and advanced Excel preferred.

Sitting at the intersection of shopper insight and in-store execution, the Category Development Manager defines growth strategies and tailored channel plans for assigned categories and sub-categories in alignment with overall market strategy. Operating across consumer, shopper, and customer requirements, this role recommends in-store solutions and promotional guidelines that translate category understanding into tangible sales results.

Duties

• Help define strategies and plans that deliver category and sub-category growth based on consumer, shopper, and customer requirements.
• Assist in identifying priority channels for the category and sub-category and work with the Channel Manager to recommend tailored category channel plans in line with overall market strategy.
• Assist in developing and proposing the in-store vision of success for the category in each channel, support its implementation, and continuously review the effectiveness of in-store actions.
• Recommend actionable in-store solutions based on a clear understanding of shopper behaviour within the category and sub-category.
• Help recommend clear promotional guidelines based on shopper understanding and current market knowledge.
• Ensure adherence to all company principles and policies.

Skills & Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of direct experience in category development.
• Experience in FMCG required.
• Ability to understand key business functions.
• Ability to understand the linkage between data analysis and integration.
• Good command of English required.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Proficient in computer skills.

A key member of the Customer and Marketing team, the Category Development Manager engages key customers with category vision and growth drivers to align internal DPSM objectives with customer strategy across Distribution, Pricing, Shelf, and Merchandising. Collaborating across Sales and Marketing functions, this role develops action plans and facilitates Go to Market Execution for new product developments that deliver measurable category growth and brand share outcomes.

Functions

• Directly engage key customers with category vision and growth drivers, aligning internal strategy with customer strategy.
• Align and deploy Distribution, Pricing, Shelf, and Merchandising objectives by customer to drive category growth and brand share.
• Develop action plans with Customer and Marketing teams to realise DPSM objectives.
• Add value in the development, tracking, and contingency planning of retailer joint business and category plans.
• Ensure sales team have the tools and capability to achieve DPSM objectives.
• Lead and facilitate the Go to Market Execution process for new product developments.

Position Requirements

• Tertiary qualification in Business and/or Marketing.
• Proven experience in marketing, customer management, or category management.
• Experience in Shopper Marketing, Space Management, and Promotional Strategy desirable.
• Strategic approach with strong analytical ability.
• Demonstrated communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated project management and organisational skills.
• Passionate about understanding consumers and shoppers and placing them at the centre of all decisions.

Consistent category growth for strategic key customers in Germany depends on the Category Development Manager, who develops insight-based shopper growth stories and leads Oral Care category strategy across internal and external stakeholders. Based within multidisciplinary category teams with regular contact across regional and European offices, this role delivers shelf and assortment solutions, manages the RCD budget, and coaches colleagues to embed category management thinking throughout the commercial organisation.

Accountabilities

• Achieve category objectives by developing and implementing category growth solutions and projects that drive growth for strategic customers in priority categories with a focus on Oral Care.
• Monitor implemented projects against defined objectives.
• Develop and deliver shelf and assortment solutions for customers, promoting cross-functional collaboration to address retailer category opportunities.
• Analyse financial, shopper, and customer data, and conduct market observations in-store and online to support development of category growth opportunities.
• Analyse the current business situation, identify growth potential, and develop effective retail and category strategies.
• Monitor implemented measures and develop optimisation plans.
• Actively share category knowledge and drive retail category focus within the full commercial organisation.
• Support and advise internal departments on category management issues and opportunities.
• Manage the RCD budget for assigned customers and projects.
• Advise the Insights team on market research needs and gaps.
• Deliver results with speed and quality, eliminating unnecessary work and driving simplicity.
• Create clear priorities and hold self accountable for results.

Education & Experience

• College or university degree required.
• Minimum 3 years of work experience in Category Management, Category Development, Trade Marketing, Retail Environment Management, Customer Development, or Consulting, preferably in Consumer Goods, Healthcare Goods, or Retail.
• Commercial knowledge with a strong understanding of the German retail landscape.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate complex business processes, identify insights and opportunities, and execute on learnings.
• Experience using productivity and office software suites.
• Able to convince internal and external stakeholders with compelling growth stories.
• Able to simplify complex situations and topics for diverse audiences.
• Enjoys teamwork and builds strong trusted relationships within cross-functional and cross-regional teams.
• Champions new initiatives and experimentation, gains buy-in, and implements new ideas effectively.
• Adopts a flexible approach to problem solving and takes risks with a willingness to learn quickly.
• Fluent in Business German and English required.

As the Category Development Manager, this role leads range reviews from inception through post-review analysis and builds a clear 3-year category strategy tailored to each account, taking an objective total-category perspective across market, consumer, and shopper insights. The account team relies on this work to strengthen competitive advantage, improve TAS scores, and maintain internal alignment behind customer category strategy at all engagement levels.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Deliver best-in-class category management by taking an objective total category perspective when providing market, consumer, and shopper insights to customer and operational teams.
• Lead the range review process from inception through implementation and delivery of post-review analysis.
• Deliver NPD launches into accounts including creating category-focused selling stories, identifying listing opportunities and challenges, and providing merchandising solutions to maximise on-shelf delivery.
• Track and deliver against KPIs including PS, PDS, core range compliance, and distribution.
• Deliver category vision content tailored to the customer by developing a clear 3-year category strategy.
• Ensure customer interactions drive competitive advantage through understanding of internal and account vision and strategies.
• Maintain objectivity when working with external and internal customers.
• Identify and push forward tailored range opportunities for the account.
• Deliver a step change in customer engagement at all levels, reflected in TAS scores.
• Deliver customer relationships, meetings, and interactions in line with the contact strategy.
• Develop strong relationships with internal account teams and ensure internal alignment behind customer category strategy.
• Attend account team meetings and establish a presence as an integral part of the team.

Background & Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Broad and in-depth understanding of FMCG context and the retail landscape.
• Customer-facing experience with the ability to engage, influence, and impact customers by providing guidance on strategic category direction.
• Category leadership expertise in relevant category management practices.
• High analytical acumen with ability to translate insights into strategies and actionable initiatives for internal teams and customers.
• Good understanding of annual planning processes internally across Supply and Demand and externally across the customer business cycle.
• Knowledge of syndicated data and space management software essential.
• Ability to build collaborative category relationships with internal and external customers.
• Efficient use of time and resources with a clear focus on priority areas.
• High level of energy and proactive drive for results, with a continuous focus on improvement for self and others.
• Collaborative approach with insight colleagues, drawing on varied and ambiguous account data inputs to deliver deep account understanding.

Category Development Manager owns the 6P Strategy for the infant food category in the specialised channel, reporting to the Category Lead Infant Food Italy and collaborating with Marketing, Finance, and the specialised channel sales force to set and execute the full commercial plan. The work directly supports company targets through distribution, promotion, and innovation actions while maintaining coherence with long-term category development strategies across product categories.

Scope of Work

• Define the category vision, strategy, and story for the specialised channel and communicate it effectively to internal teams and clients.
• Define the commercial plan for the infant food category in the specialised channel, setting commercial actions across distribution, promotions, events, innovation, in-store visibility, and category management projects to achieve company targets.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Finance teams to ensure alignment of commercial actions.
• Represent the main point of reference for specialised channel sales force to ensure category plan implementation.
• Identify extra business opportunities to increase efficiency and profitability.
• Monitor channel and key customer performance through a monthly performance review process and define corrective actions to address key issues.
• Deploy commercial skills to address various P&L levers.
• Ensure coherence with long-term development strategies for product categories.
• Seek input from functional areas including manufacturing, sales, marketing, product development, and finance.

Education & Experience

• College degree or master's degree, preferably from a Business School.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in FMCG or specialised channel management.
• Ability to translate sophisticated data into simple solutions using an analytical approach.
• Excellent Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Proficient in Italian and English.
• Ownership attitude.

The Category Development Manager delivers advanced insight-based opportunities across Merchandising, Assortment, Pricing, and Shelving for retailer partners within a global consumer goods alliance focused on coffee and tea. Partnering with Sales, Brand, and Shopper Insights teams, this role builds customer category strategies that disproportionately drive sales and share through syndicated analytics, joint business planning, and consistent category messaging.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop strategic customer relationships through headquarters influence, project management, and category thought leadership.
• Proactively assist in the discovery and presentation of advanced insight-based opportunities to drive retailer sales initiatives and growth potential across Merchandising, Assortment, Pricing, and Shelving.
• Interpret shopper and consumer research to drive category solutions for customers.
• Partner with the headquarters Category Development team to apply customer knowledge and viewpoints to national category best practices.
• Assist in selling and implementing Shopper Inspired Principles across customers and support quarterly go-to-market business plan presentations.
• Partner closely with Sales, Brand, and Shopper Insights teams to understand the latest category and consumer insights.
• Serve as the internal coffee and tea category expert and primary resource for category insights and requests.
• Deliver strong customer penetration and competitive influence in the development of customer category strategies that disproportionately drive sales and share.
• Leverage analytical tools including syndicated and customer-specific data to develop new department and category insights that influence the retailer's future strategic direction.
• Collaborate with Manager and Director to formulate annual team goals and identify strategic opportunities.
• Analyse, track, and report on business plan building blocks within the team.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing throughout the organisation by providing business insights, standards, and ad hoc reporting to diverse audiences.
• Respond to inquiries regarding competitive data, customers, categories, and channels.
• Lead others in solving complex analytic problems using data and insights.
• Work closely with channel planning, marketing, and customer business development to ensure integration and consistency of category messages.
• Stay ahead of industry, category, and brand issues and trends and identify target opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in sales, sales analytics, or category development roles, preferably in a CPG organisation.
• Minimum 5 years of experience performing market, category, product, or competitive analysis.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working with shopper or consumer insights data within CPG.
• Ability to align strategy, leverage multi-functional resources, and apply market and shopper analytics.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to negotiate and reach win-win agreements.
• Understanding of the CPG industry with experience leading joint business planning and commercialising value.
• Ability to sell persuasively and collaborate with others.
• Ability to build diverse collaborative relationships.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Able to handle and manage confidential information when working internally and externally.
• Ability to apply multidisciplinary business principles to achieve successful outcomes in cross-functional projects.
• Comfortable working in a changing matrix environment with ambiguity.

Embedded within a cross-functional Sourcing and Category Development organization, the Category Development Manager develops and executes strategic category plans for Information Technology and Systems categories to drive cost savings and support committed member growth. Working closely with Legal, Strategic Projects, and Committed Members, this role leads RFP processes, evaluates supplier performance against SLAs, and builds the supplier relationships that ensure best-value purchasing decisions across the portfolio.

Job Functions

• Support project cost savings targets.
• Identify cost savings and category maximisation opportunities for committed members and sectors through analysis of market trends, spend, financials, total cost of ownership, and risk assessments.
• Develop and execute strategic category plans and joint business plans with strategic partners.
• Understand gaps in category from sectors and customers and work to close those gaps while ensuring growth with contracted partners.
• Support creation of business cases and value propositions for identified opportunities with stakeholders.
• Communicate and present opportunities to influence and build internal support among clients and stakeholders.
• Identify purchasing and contracting needs of internal and external clients.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external clients and key stakeholders including Legal, Strategic Projects, and Committed Members.
• Participate actively in cross-functional teams to evaluate supplier performance against established SLAs.
• Establish and maintain supplier relationships.
• Manage supplier performance with stakeholders for service improvement and corrective actions as required.
• Maintain knowledge of the telecommunications industry and stay current on industry trends and category development best practices.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of sourcing, procurement, or category development experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of supply chain, category management, strategic sourcing, negotiations, and contracting concepts.
• Knowledge of the telecommunications or wireless industry preferred.
• Knowledge of contract management and development preferred.
• Demonstrated negotiation experience.
• Demonstrated problem-solving capability using fact-based decision making and creative thinking.
• Proficiency with standard office and project management software including spreadsheet and presentation applications.
• Ability to operate in cross-functional teams and facilitate cross-functional meetings internally and externally.
• Ability to influence decision makers through value propositions and effective oral, written, and presentation communication.
• Ability to identify opportunities through data and financial analysis, risk assessments, and process reviews.
• Ability to successfully support and manage projects.
• Continuous improvement skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.

Reporting to sales strategy leadership, the Category Development Manager develops and owns category strategies that fuel sales, market share, and profit growth for the consumer health portfolio and key retailer partners across North American markets. Partnering with Sales Directors, National Account Managers, and cross-functional teams, this role leads Category Platform development, integrates global research sources, and ensures category dynamics shape joint business plans and brand plans.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Play a key role in leading Category Platform development and execution on a specific portfolio at key customers.
• Develop and own category strategies to fuel sales, market share, and profit growth for the sales team and key retailers.
• Develop strong category shelving and merchandising solutions and help customers implement shopper-centric solutions.
• Develop new launch decks with commercial selling propositions for presentation with Sales and retail accounts.
• Conduct insightful category reviews on key businesses and work with internal sales teams and external customers to address opportunities.
• Manage and integrate global and North American research sources to develop category insights that feed into retailer solutions.
• Partner with Sales Directors and National Account Managers on joint business planning sessions internally and with core retailer customers externally.
• Liaise with cross-functional teams through business planning and ensure category dynamics are reflected in brand plans.

Education & Experience

• University degree with focus in a business discipline.
• MBA preferred.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of category management experience, preferably in consumer packaged goods.
• Proven experience working with key retailers including Buyers and Category and Merchandising contacts at multiple organisational levels.
• Led or been highly involved in developing category growth initiatives.
• Strong storytelling capabilities.
• Skilled at working with research studies and generating insights and analytics.
• Adept at working with syndicated data and planogram software.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience leading or working with multifunctional teams.

Sitting at the intersection of category insight and customer partnership, the Category Development Manager implements category vision and strategy through customer-specific plans while building category partnerships that grow share of space and sales across multiple FMCG sectors. Operating across grocery, discount, and private label accounts, this role supports the sales team in delivering distribution and brand initiative objectives through compelling, insight-led category work.

Areas of Ownership

• Implement the category vision and strategy through customer-specific plans.
• Build best-in-class category partnerships, growing the category and share of space and sales.
• Develop strong business relationships with contacts across customer organisations.
• Develop ongoing category insights to deliver continuous category development within customer accounts.
• Demonstrate a proactive attitude in all areas of responsibility.
• Create compelling, insight-led category sells for customers independently.
• Support the sales team in the delivery of sales, distribution, and brand initiative objectives.
• Review, develop, and implement the category vision in alignment with commercial goals set by the business.

Professional Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in an FMCG company with exposure to marketing, sales promotion, and sales management.
• Broad experience in field and head office account management covering multiple FMCG sectors including multiple grocers, discount operators, and private label.
• Proven communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to construct an engaging business case and vary approach and content to motivate, persuade, and challenge.
• Ability to anticipate, respond to, and seek to exceed the expectations of existing and potential customers.
• Ability to engage effectively at all levels with gravitas and a flexible communication style adaptable to the audience.