Category Development Manager

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc; Binfield Heath; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc is seeking a Category Development Manager for the AFH segment in the Uxbridge area. The role reports to the Senior Category Manager and focuses on developing and implementing category strategies to unlock growth across multiple environments and customers.

You will collaborate with national accounts, activation, R&MGM and insights teams to deliver the strategy, supported by robust data sources.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to develop clear category strategies for growth.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into insights.
• Excellent influencing and stakeholder management across functions.

Responsibilities

• Support development of a clear Soft Drinks category vision across environments and customers.
• Develop strategic plans with key accounts to identify growth opportunities.
• Drive strategic thinking and value creation with customers through channel strategies and business planning.
• Establish and maintain a mutually beneficial customer contact strategy with key accounts.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align category and brand strategies.
• Deliver high-quality category analysis and insights regularly.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Influencing

Stakeholder management

Analytical mindset

Tools

Nielsen data

CGA data

Lumina data

IGD data

Job description

Make an impact in ways that matter. Join a business built on trusted brands, great people and teamwork, where care and fresh ideas help keep things moving. Here, your contribution helps serve our customers, support our operations and enable our teams to do their best work. You'll be encouraged to bring your strengths, supported to grow, and welcomed into a team where we make a meaningful difference together.

Category Development Manager - AFH Location - Uxbridge Contract - Permanent Role closing date - 20/10/2026

What you become part of:

In an increasingly competitive and challenging market place, at CCEP we see the role of the Category Development Manager as pivotal to delivering our business performance. The team's primary objective is to deliver an inspiring and insightful vision for the Soft Drinks category, today and in the future across the various Environments. In order to unlock growth we need our team to be strategic, long term focused, analytical and great influencers to work in partnership with our customers and key internal stakeholders. Reporting in to the Senior Category Manager you will be responsible for the development and implementation of a category strategy to unlock growth potential.

What to expect:

Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Support in the development of a clear vision for the Soft Drinks category, creating a framework for growth with a clear and relevant category strategy across key environments and customers
• Develop strategic plans with key accounts that identify opportunities to drive performance
• Drive CCEP strategic thinking and value creation story with Customers by engaging with Buyers, Merchandisers and Category Directors Land range relays, macro space resets, tenders/ re-negotiations, channel strategy visions and Customer Business Planning Days
• Establish and maintain a mutually beneficial customer contact strategy and help broaden our engagement with customers
• Work in collaboration with key internal stakeholders (including National Accounts, Activation, R&MGM and Insights) to ensure alignment and execution against the category and brand strategies
• Ensure delivery of quality category analysis reports, delivering insight to our customers on a regular basis utilise external providers to ensure we have access to the highest quality data & insight available for our customers and environments.
• Drive change by launching strategic projects such as channel strategy across key customers

Skills & Experience:

• Demonstrate passion, proactive ownership and resilience for growing the category
• Strong listening and influencing skills at various levels within the organisation and with customers
• Ability to influence diverse stakeholder groups
• Resilience, determination, and drive are key

Behaviours:

• Drive for innovation, change, agile, curious mind set, resilience, determination, and drive are key
• In-depth knowledge of Nielsen, CGA, Lumina, IGD and other data & insight providers

We are encouraging applications from candidates who have previous experience of collaborating with large customers, are highly numerate and analytical. Previous FMCG Category Management experience is desirable but not essential.

We are Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), with 39,000 people serving 4 million customers across 31 markets. We combine the scale of a large multinational business with expert local knowledge of the customers and communities we serve, investing, employing, manufacturing and distributing locally. At CCEP, we welcome people from all backgrounds and value the experiences and perspectives they bring. We are committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves, feel respected and thrive. This commitment is reflected in our recognition as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute and as a Disability Confident Leader.

We recognise that some people may prefer not to participate in alcohol-related sales, interactions or promotions. If this applies to you, please speak with your Talent Acquisition contact, who can advise whether this role includes activities related to our alcohol portfolio.

To find out more about life at CCEP and our culture, visit Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and our careers website at