European Retail Category Leader

McCain Foods; Villeneuve-d'Ascq; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

McCain Alimentaire SAS in Villeneuve-dAscq, France, invites an experienced Retail Category Leadership Manager to shape and drive a European category vision. This strategic role interfaces with Marketing, Sales, Innovation, and local Category Management teams across Continental Europe.

You will translate consumer and shopper insights into category growth opportunities, align with local markets, and influence cross-functional partners to execute a shared agenda without direct line management.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Category Management experience, preferably in FMCG.
• Experience with market data tools Circana/IRI, Kantar or GfK and BI platforms such as Power BI.

Responsibilities

• Shape the European category strategy: define vision, segmentation and growth priorities for Retail Continental Europe, aligning with Sales and Marketing Directors.
• Lead category strategy development for McCain and co-develop Pickers/Strong Roots agendas with International Snacking Category Manager.
• Turn insights into opportunities across countries and channels, informing assortment, innovation, promotion, merchandising and in-store activation.
• Translate priorities into actionable recommendations for local teams and channels.
• Build relationships with Category Managers, Sales, Key Accounts, Marketing, Innovation and global stakeholders to align priorities.
• Embed category insights into joint business plans with Key Account Managers and partnerships with European retailers.
• Collaborate with BI, Insights, Data & Digitization to translate data into clear actions.
• Represent Continental Europe in global category community and share best practices with GB and EMENA.
• Coach local Category Managers and foster a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Skills

Category mgmt

Strategic thinking

International experience

Analytical skills

Influence

Cross-functional collab

Communication skills

Digital curiosity

Tools

Power BI

Circana/IRI

Kantar

GfK

Job description

McCain Alimentaire SAS in Villeneuve-dAscq, France, invites an experienced Retail Category Leadership Manager to shape and drive a European category vision. This strategic role interfaces with Marketing, Sales, Innovation, and local Category Management teams across Continental Europe.

You will translate consumer and shopper insights into category growth opportunities, align with local markets, and influence cross-functional partners to execute a shared agenda without direct line management.