Category Development Manager

Job Description

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by over 27,500 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo. Our agility and entrepreneurial spirit, alongside award winning development programmes, enable innovation and success while creating exciting and rewarding career choices. As we move forward, our customers will be at the heart of what we do, evolving to needs and expectations and committing to a more meaningful contribution to harm reduction by building a successful NGP business. Integral to our long-term success is our sustainability strategy, behaving responsibly and supporting our ambitions, all underpinned by high governance. Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

The Role

The Category Development Manager is responsible for supporting the Trade Strategy Manager in delivery of the trade marketing strategy.

Working alongside our Sales teams you will help us drive our trade marketing strategy within our key retail partners by delivering a compelling suite of customer facing materials and owning performance analysis. With a portfolio of Imperial Brands products, you will contribute to the channel and category strategy by ensuring we have the right product, marketing and promotional activities in place across multiple channels.

About You

You’re highly analytical, comfortable using complex data and working with a wide range of insights to make fact-based decisions. With a background in sales or marketing, you’re able to translate plans into customer marketing actions. You can develop strategies based on real world insight and bring people along with you using strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Knowledge of the segments, retailers, shoppers and consumers will help the post holder provide the information required to understand the key gaps, strengths and weaknesses in performance and to guide key decisions relating to trade marketing strategy.

Principle Accountabilities & Experience

• Supporting the trade strategy and sales teams with relevant category, channel and market insights
• Analyse Imperial Brands performance by channel and make recommendations on brand and initiative strategy to enhance our position in those channels
• Track customer performance and create engaging customer facing materials to support trade strategy and Sales teams
• The post holder will have the opportunity to work across multiple channels (Grocery, Convenience, Wholesale, Online), contributing to the planning, execution, and review processes.

Key Skills & Experience

• Trade Marketing or Sales experience
• Experience in category management and category insights
• Excellent verbal & written presentation, communication, and project management skills
• Understanding of UK retail trade with a good grasp of market, consumer, and shopper data
• Experience with data analysis tools and computer skills (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

What We Offer

Competitive salary, bonus scheme, pension, and 25 days holiday (with an additional 4 days on top to cover the Christmas period, and bank holidays), flexible working policy, corporate discounts, Health Cash Plan, and other wellbeing initiatives.

Next Steps

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply, highlighting their suitability for the above post.