Category Executive

BBF Limited; Blackburn; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dessert manufacturer in the UK seeks a Category Executive for a 12-month fixed-term contract in Blackburn with hybrid working. This role involves utilizing insights from various data sources, managing relationships with internal teams, and supporting category development. Candidates should be graduates with a keen analytical mindset, proficient in Microsoft Office, and capable of handling pressures in a dynamic environment. Competitive salary and attractive benefits offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)

Access to company Benefits Hub

Onsite Cake Shop

Qualifications

• Graduate with some commercial role experience preferred.
• Ability to handle pressure and tight deadlines.
• Experience with consumer data and social media is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Utilise category insights from multiple data sources.
• Support category manager in strategic category development.
• Manage ongoing category relationships internally.

Skills

Proficient use of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

Ability to work collaboratively

Attention to detail

Numeric and analytical skills

Education

Graduate (Business preferred)

Job description

Overview

BBF is one of the UK’s leading ambient cake and chilled dessert manufacturers of retailer own label, licensed and branded cakes, supplying recognisable retailers across the UK and European market.

We are passionate about our products and aim to put the customer at the heart of everything we do.

Category Executive (12 month Fixed Term Contract)

Blackburn, Hybrid Working

Who are we looking for?

EXPERIENCE

• Graduate (Business preferred but not essential) and / or some commercial role experience
• Gap / sandwich year at University would be beneficial
• Experience in Private Label (beneficial, but not essential)
• Previous customer facing experience & a track record of relationship building (beneficial, but not essential)
• Use of EPOS and Consumer data, namely IRI, Nielsen, Kantar (WorldPanelOnline) (beneficial, but not essential)
• Work with any other data systems would be useful, e.g., Co Op Hive, M&S Unify, i2C, Dunnhumby, etc advantageous to demonstrate depth of data use, but not essential.
• Use of social media is advantageous in this role

KNOWLEDGE

• Good all round business acumen
• Grasp of the retail environment, understanding the context of the retail landscape
• Some knowledge of the difference in retail outlook in grocery channels, i.e. Major Multiples, Convenience, Discounters, High Street, Online etc
• Knowledge of the bakery and chilled desserts markets (beneficial, but not essential)
• Some understanding of Private Label, its differentiation to brands and interactions in the marketplace

SKILLS

• Proficient use of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel, PowerPoint, Word
• Ability to work collaboratively, in a fast paced, ever changing environment.
• Attention to detail.
• Handling pressure situations and working to tight deadlines.
• Numeric and analytical, in order to analyse and interpret data, and then making solid confident recommendations.
• Full Drivers Licence

The role of a Category Executive at BBF Limited

• Utilise category insight from multiple data sources (internal company and retailer data, continuous data providers and broader market intelligence) to fulfil data requirements
• Follow the retailers’ cycles of the category marketing process to support category manager and Head of Category & Insight in strategic category development
• Ad Hoc & Continuous reporting of category & insight data to internal and external stakeholders
• Manage the ongoing category relationship internally with commercial and NPD colleagues
• Work with commercial & NPD teams to provide regular insights on opportunities within the market.
• Working in conjunction with Head of category & Insight to deliver key insights and recommendations for category / range reviews and retailer corporate initiatives.
• Create, manage and deliver continuous reports and deliverables to key customers as well as internal BBF stakeholders.

Who are BBF Limited?

BBF Limited are one of the UK’s leading ambient cake and chilled dessert manufacturers of retailer own label, licensed and branded cakes, supplying recognisable major retailers across the UK and European market.

Our team of experts develop and manufacture a wide range of high-quality ambient cake products across several different categories including celebration cake, mini rolls, mince pies, fruit pies and a wide range of chilled desserts including cheesecake, crumbles and sponge cakes. These include mince pies, celebration cakes, slab cakes, cupcakes and many more!

We are passionate about our products and aim to put the customer at the heart of everything we do.

With recent investment and acquisitions taking us to nearly 1,400 direct employees, this is an exciting time to join BBF Limited! We are continually looking to grow, but we can only do that with exceptional talent across all levels and disciplines of the business. That is where you come into it!

On top of making some really tasty cakes and desserts, we do a lot of fun stuff too! Whether that be Christmas fun days, pancake-flipping competitions, Red Nose Day events or odd-sock days, you’ll be coming to work smiling.

What do you get in return?

Financial

Competitive salary depending on experience

Pension

4x Life Assurance / Death in Service Benefit

Access to the company Benefits Hub

Access to ‘Company Shop’ – a discounted re‑distributor of surplus food and household products

Health & Wellbeing

25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)

24 / 7 Online GP

Personal & Professional Development

Dedicated in‑house Learning & Development / Training team

Online training platform with access to 100+ training courses

A few other bits

Free on‑site parking

Onsite canteen

Onsite Cake Shop (majorly discounted)

Recruitment Agencies

We operate a recruitment PSL when we require assistance, and we aren't adding to this at present. Any agency assistance will be instructed accordingly and therefore any CVs sent to any BBF Limited employee will be treated as a gift and won't be liable for a fee. Please don't speculatively contact us in relation to this vacancy or any other vacancy.