Category Development Lead - Grocery & eCommerce: 12 month fixed term contract

Nestlé S.A.; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Potential bonus

Flexible days off

Personal development focus

Job summary

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages is seeking a Customer Category Lead to drive growth, transformation and brand-building in Grocery and eCommerce. You will develop and activate category strategies, build trusted customer partnerships and guide a high-performing team within a global Nestlé group.

You will shape future growth by aligning insights, plans and execution across senior stakeholders, delivering value for customers and the business in a dynamic market.

Qualifications

• Breadth of Grocery & eCommerce experience and transformational leadership.
• Brand-building capability and customer influence.
• Strategic vision to unlock growth for NW&PB.

Responsibilities

• Lead 12–36 month Grocery & eCommerce channel strategies across diverse environments.
• Drive category growth, premiumisation and value through insights and planning.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to build trusted category growth plans.
• Deliver compelling category recommendations from insights to opportunities and execution.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to align priorities and plans.
• Oversee ICP process, linking MBS ambitions to annual priorities and Must Win Battles.
• Build and inspire a high-performing Customer Category team.

Skills

Commercial leadership

Category development

Customer management

Channel strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Change leadership

Beverages knowledge

Job description

Category Development Lead - Grocery & eCommerce: 12 month fixed term contract

Customer Category Lead – Grocery & eCommerce: 12 month fixed term contract

Gatwick: Hybrid working: 2 days per week in the office

Some of our other fantastic benefits

• Potential, discretionary annual bonus
• 12 flexible days on top of 25 days annual holiday entitlement pro rata
• A focus on personal development and growth

Although this is a full-timetemporary opportunity, please speak to us about what flexibility means to you as we are always open to discuss individual’s flexible working needs, don’t let this stop you from applying.

Position Summary

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages is a standalone, globally managed business within the Nestlé Group.

The company serves consumers in more than 100 markets with a portfolio of more than 35 brands, includingS.Pellegrino, Perrier, Acqua Panna,SanpellegrinoItalian Sparkling Drinks, Maison Perrier, Buxton, Essentia,Levissima, La VieandNestlé Pure Life. Building on its heritage andexpertisein waters, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages (NW & PB) is focused on growth in premium and better-for-youbeverages, creating value for consumers,customersand stakeholders.

Water stewardship is central to the business. Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages is proud to be the only beverage company with all its bottling sites certified to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Working with local communities, experts and partners around the world, the company helps protect and restore water resources while supporting long-term environmental resilience.

We have an exciting opportunity for aCustomer Category Leadto join our Commercial Development Team (CDT)tolead the future growth, transformation and brand-building agenda of our Grocery & eCommerce business,with accountability for building trusted category partnerships and developing a high-performing team.

As aCustomer Category Lead - Grocery & eCommerce, you will shape the future of our Grocery & eCommerce business by developing and activating category and channel strategies that drive sustainable growth, create value for customers, and strengthen our brands across a wide range of consumption occasions. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of our business while helping our brands win in the moments that matter most.

Your impact

Reporting to the Head of CDTand leading a team of 5 direct reports, your key responsibilities willinclude:

• Leadingthe development and execution of 12 – 36 month Grocery & eCommerce channel strategies that unlock growth opportunities across diverse customer environments
• Drivingcategory growth, premiumisation and value creation through customer-focused insight and strategic planning
• Partneringwith senior customer stakeholders to build trusted relationships and create sustainable category growth plans
• Deliveringcompelling category recommendations that transform insight into actionable commercial opportunities and winning execution
• Leadingcross-functional collaboration to align business priorities, optimise performance and bring strategic plans to life
• Leadingthe Integrated Commercial Planning (ICP) process from an OOH perspective, connecting Market Business Strategy (MBS) ambitions to annual priorities, Must Win Battles and executable customer plans
• Building and inspiringa high-performing Customer Category team with capability in shopper insight, OOH dynamics, commercial storytelling and strategic influence.

Your ingredients for success

The successful candidate will demonstrate breadth of Grocery & eCommerce experience, transformational leadership, brand-building capability, customer influence and strategic vision required to unlock the next phase of growth for NW&PB.

Key skills and attributes will include:

• Significant commercial, category development, customer management and channel strategy experience within FMCG
• Demonstrated experience shaping and activating customer or channel strategies, influencing senior stakeholders and turning insight into executable commercial plans
• Relevant experience of working in Grocery and ecommerce channels and customers
• Strong leadership capability, with a track record of developing high-performing teams and delivering results through others.
• Experience leading change within complex, matrix organisations and influencing senior stakeholders internally and externally
• Evidence of strategic thinking, customer partnership, commercial judgement and the agility to solve complex problems creatively and at pace
• Strong record of cross-functional leadership and delivery of exceptional results through collaboration, challenge and shared ownership
• Commercial and category development experience ideally within beverages
• Deep understanding of Grocery & ecommerce channels and customers
• Ability to challenge existing thinking and identify opportunities to fundamentally reshape the Grocery and ecommerce business

What you need to know

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect and we believe that embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment allows everyone to reach their full potential and drives innovative thinking. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all gender identities, ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, parents, carers and members of the LGBT+ community. Please let us know if we can provide accommodations to ensure your full participation in the application process.

We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity. We proudly signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter, are committed to Disability Confidence, and have been recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for gender equality for three consecutive years. Additionally, we are a headline partner of Diversity and Inclusion in grocery.