Category Marketing Manager

Pladis; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

pladis, a global biscuits and confectionery business, seeks a Senior FMCG Marketing Manager in Sydney to drive premium portfolio strategy and innovation. You will partner with Insights, R&D, and Commercial teams to shape gifting and seasonal initiatives, support new product launches, and optimise portfolio performance across markets.

The role emphasizes analytical decision-making, cross-functional leadership, and execution excellence in a fast-growing, purpose-led environment.

Qualifications

• Essential: Relevant experience in FMCG marketing premium segment, category management, innovation or portfolio management, particularly within chocolate or confectionery.
• Essential: Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate consumer, market and performance data into actionable recommendations.
• Essential: Understanding of gifting behaviour, occasion-based marketing and seasonal planning.
• Essential: Experience developing innovation pipelines and taking products from concept to launch.
• Essential: Commercial acumen, including an understanding of sales, profitability and the factors that drive category growth.
• Essential: A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively across functions, markets and cultures.
• Essential: Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a focus on execution.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Insights team to analyse consumer behaviour and category trends, translating findings into portfolio and innovation recommendations.
• Lead projects from concept to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver on scope and timelines.
• Develop gifting collections and seasonal programmes tailored to Global Travel Retail and premium channels.
• Develop business cases and assess profitability and portfolio implications for investments.
• Collaborate with regional teams to adapt propositions for local markets and support launch readiness.
• Track performance against KPIs and propose improvements to assortment and portfolio productivity.
• Prepare category reviews and stakeholder updates with clear visibility of progress and risks.

Skills

FMCG marketing

Category management

Innovation

Portfolio management

Analytical skills

Gifting behaviour

Occasion-based marketing

Seasonal planning

Commercial acumen

Cross-functional collaboration

Execution focus

Job description

Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you. As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits. To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led, resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility, we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact

What will be your key deliverables?

• Consumer and market insight: Partner with Insights team to analyse consumer behaviour, shopper needs, competitor activity and category trends, translating findings into clear portfolio and innovation recommendations.
• Innovation and renovation: Lead selected projects from concept through to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams across Design, Insights, R&D, Commercialisation and Supply Chain to deliver against agreed scope, timelines and commercial objectives.
• Seasonal and channel propositions: Develop gifting collections and seasonal programmes, including boutique-exclusive and café propositions, and assortments tailored to Global Travel Retail.
• Commercial evaluation: Develop business cases and assess sales potential, profitability and portfolio implications to inform investment and prioritisation decisions.
• Market deployment: Partner with regional marketing and commercial teams to adapt global propositions to local needs and support launch readiness and execution.
• Performance and optimisation: Track portfolio, innovation and seasonal performance against agreed KPIs, combining results with market feedback to recommend improvements to assortment, execution and portfolio productivity.
• Governance and stakeholder alignment: Prepare category reviews, project updates and decision materials, ensuring stakeholders have clear visibility of progress, risks and required actions.

Essential

• Relevant experience in FMCG marketing premium segment, category management, innovation or portfolio management, particularly within chocolate or confectionery.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate consumer, market and performance data into actionable recommendations.
• Understanding of gifting behaviour, occasion-based marketing and seasonal planning.
• Experience developing innovation pipelines and taking products from concept to launch.
• Commercial acumen, including an understanding of sales, profitability and the factors that drive category growth.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively across functions, markets and cultures.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a focus on execution.

Desirable

• Experience leading cross-functional projects and managing multiple priorities through to delivery.
• Knowledge of portfolio architecture, assortment planning and pricing.
• Exposure to boutique, café, premium retail or Global Travel Retail channels.
• Experience in a global or regional marketing role within a matrix organisation.
• An interest in premium brands, consumer trends and creating distinctive gifting experiences.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build clear recommendations and influence stakeholders without direct authority.

pladis is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law. We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List. If you are a recruitment agency and wish to submit candidate to be considered for this vacancy, you must have agreed to, and signed, our terms of business. We will not accept CVs from any other sources other than those currently on our PSL. We will not pay a fee for any candidate that has not been represented by a provider on our PSL.