Category Development Manager

Jdeprofessional; Maidenhead; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Jdeprofessional is seeking a Category Development Manager to drive growth in the UK coffee category. This role requires expertise in Category Development and strong relationships with retail customers.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years of experience, advanced analytical skills, and proficiency in tools like Nielsen and Kantar. Responsibilities include leading category strategies and collaborating with internal teams to maximize impact.

This position allows for hybrid working, providing flexibility while engaging with key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Category Development or Category Strategy (FMCG), ideally 4+ years.
• Strong understanding of UK retail, shoppers, and customers.
• Excellent Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop strong relationships with key retail customers.
• Lead range reviews and assortment planning.
• Analyse shopper behaviour and market trends.

Skills

Category Development or Category Strategy

Understanding of UK retail

Advanced analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Confidence presenting

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Nielsen

IRI

Kantar

Dunnhumby

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

As a Category Development Manager, you’ll play a critical role in shaping the future of the UK coffee category.

Working within our Category Development & Shopper Marketing team, you’ll partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and key retail customers to deliver category growth. Reporting to the Demand Accelerator Controller, you’ll lead the development of customer‑specific category strategies grounded in deep shopper insight and data.

This is a highly visible, externally focused role where you’ll combine analytical expertise with storytelling, influencing, and commercial acumen to position JDE Peet’s as the supplier of choice.

What you’ll be doing

Build category leadership with customers

• Develop strong, trusted relationships with key retail customers
• Bring our category vision to life, aligning it with customer strategies and growth ambitions
• Lead range reviews, assortment planning, and space optimisation across all channels (store & online)
• Deliver compelling insights and storytelling to drive decision‑making
• Analyse shopper behaviour, market trends, and performance data
• Identify opportunities to grow sales, optimise promotions, and improve profitability
• Deliver regular performance reviews and actionable recommendations

Drive commercial impact

• Lead promotional effectiveness analysis — defining what to stop, start, and continue
• Support distribution and assortment strategies
• Own Product Quadrant Analysis (PQA) and proactively manage underperforming SKUs
• Deliver quarterly market insight decks and category updates

Collaborate internally to win

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Category Strategy, and Shopper teams
• Support new product launches and relaunches to maximise impact
• Contribute to customer business planning and commercial reviews
• Ensure alignment on range review cycles and execution plans

Qualifications

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience in Category Development or Category Strategy (FMCG), ideally 4+ years
• Strong understanding of UK retail, shoppers, and customers
• Advanced analytical skills — able to turn complex data into clear, compelling insights
• Experience using data tools such as Nielsen, IRI, Kantar, or Dunnhumby
• Excellent Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Confidence presenting to both customers and senior stakeholders
• A proactive, self‑driven mindset with a focus on results
• Degree (or equivalent experience)
• Willingness to travel for customer engagement

#li-hybrid