Category Executive

apetito UK; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK food supplier is seeking a Category Executive for their Specialist Nutrition products. This role focuses on driving continuous improvement and managing a high-profile product range, with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Candidates should have a strong passion for food, excellent analytical abilities, and experience in managing projects with various stakeholders.

Benefits

Competitive salary - accredited Living Wage employer

25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus scheme

Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%

Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary

Subsidised canteen

Free parking

Free turkey or voucher at Christmas

Qualifications

• Experience managing high-profile projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Self-motivated and able to manage own workload.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy into product strategy.
• Drive action to get products to market.
• Manage product profitability and commercial success.

Skills

Passion for food

Analytically minded

Strong collaboration skills

Effective communicator

Problem solving skills

Attention to detail

Education

Degree in a relevant commercial, nutrition or dietetic discipline

Job description

With a focus on owning and driving continuous improvement of our Specialist Nutrition (SN) products the Category Executive will have the rare opportunity to work with truly world leading products in our award-winning SN ranges.

Responsible for continually evolving and improving our proposition creating new sources of competitive advantage and putting further distance between apetito and our competitors.

The Specialist Nutrition function is of huge strategic importance to the apetito and Wiltshire Farm Foods business.

The high-profile nature of the division and breadth of commercial experience offered has been a springboard for alumni to develop their careers in apetito UK, and further-afield in apetito Germany, Canada and USA.

The apetito & Wiltshire Farm Foods Specialist Nutrition ranges are

• Texture Modified Foods - A world leading range of products for those living with dysphagia.
• Finger Foods - A world first. Providing meal options for those who may be living with dementia, have a loss of dexterity and struggle to use cutlery, pace or become distracted at mealtimes
• Mini Meals Extra - A range of smaller portioned energy dense, higher protein meals designed to tackle malnutrition.
• Free From - A delicious range of meals free from the main 14 allergens.
  
  
  

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

The Category Executive is responsible for the business management of the Specialist Nutrition product range and its commercial success.

Key responsibilities are to

• Translate business strategy into product strategy
• Own the product roadmap
• Execute product strategy
• Drive action throughout the organisation to get products to market
• Plan and carry out product launches
• Manage product profitability and commercial success
• Manage product mix and pricing
• Provide insight to stakeholders on the product and market
• Provide product marketing with insights on key differentiators and messages
• Write high-level requirements
• Support the NPD and Marketing teams (and wider business) with any questions they may have
• Support Planning & Manufacturing teams to maintain good stock availability
• Manage all aspects of in-life products, including customer feedback, requirements, and issues
  
  
  

Essential Skills And Experience

• Passion for food
• Experience managing high-profile projects with multiple stakeholders
• Analytically minded and financially literate
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills
• Effective communicator, confident presenting
• High level of attention to detail
• Problem solving skills
• Self-motivated, able to manage own workload
  
  
  

Desired Skills And Experience

• Experience in the food industry
• Knowledge of the care industry
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Degree in a relevant commercial, nutrition or dietetic discipline or equivalent experience in a commercial or nutrition related role (e.g. category, sales, marketing, Nutritionist, Dietitian)
  
  
  

Your personality

• Genuine passion for making a real difference
• Drive and ambition
• A leadership mindset - able to inspire and motivate others to achieve common goals
• Growth mindset - An optimistic outlook with determination to make things happen
• Competitive salary - accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts
  
  
  

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.

Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.