Category Manager

To play a key role in the Category Development and wider Commercial team to develop and deliver the Category Strategy with designated customers which will enable the business to lead the Category agenda with those customers, influencing their behaviours and actions to the shoppers’, category’s and the businesses benefit.

1. To develop and execute the annual customer category plan, influencing the customer to execute our category vision, category, merchandising and promotional strategies, segmentation, category/consumer/shopper research and category initiatives.
2. To identify and manage customer specific category initiatives and projects to increase sales and profitability.
3. To lead and deliver the range, seasonal review and gap analysis processes with our customers that deliver the category strategies. Actively manage the product range through Portfolio Management and the distribution tracker to facilitate better management of the tail and drive distribution of best sellers to respond to shopper demand.
4. To lead and deliver merchandising reviews and category Point of Purchase (POP) tactics as needed with customers, managing store trials and roll out plans as appropriate.
5. To lead and deliver promotions tactics with the customer including regular reporting, influencing and evaluating customer promotions.
6. To provide regular category performance tracking (monthly and quarterly) to the customer where required (using our information and/or retailer specific data) and to maintain category analytical tools as appropriate.
7. To manage the budget allocated to their account and display cost awareness and efficiency with regard to the overall department budget hitting the YE forecast