Category Executive Maternity Cover

Pilgrim'S Europe; Greater London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension scheme

Employee discount platform

Training and development

Exposure to senior stakeholders

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Pilgrim's Europe is offering a 12-month maternity cover contract for a Category Executive in the meat and plant-based division. The role focuses on supporting category growth across major UK retailers from an office-based setting in Uxbridge.

You will gain hands-on experience in category management, turning shopper insights into winning strategies and working with cross-functional teams to deliver results.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Food or Consumer Behaviour.
• Placement year or graduate programme in Category Management, Shopper Marketing, Marketing, Commercial, FMCG, Food Manufacturing, Retail.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Genuine interest in consumer behaviour, retail trends and category growth.
• Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with retail customers, including Buyers and Merchandisers.
• Analyse shopper, consumer and market data to identify category opportunities.
• Support category reviews, range recommendations and customer presentations.
• Create engaging insight-led reports and category stories.
• Monitor category performance and identify growth opportunities.
• Act as the voice of the shopper within the business.
• Work with Commercial, Marketing, Brand and Customer teams to support category growth.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Advanced Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Degree in Business/Marketing/Economics/Food/Consumer Behaviour

Tools

Nielsen

Circana (IRI)

Kantar

Job description

Location: Uxbridge, West London
Department: Category - Brands - Meat & Plant Based
Way of Working: Office-based

Looking to Start Your FMCG Category Career?

Have you recently completed a degree and gained experience through a Category, Marketing, Commercial, Shopper Insight, or FMCG placement year? Or perhaps you've completed a graduate programme within FMCG, Retail, or the Food Industry and are looking for your next challenge?

We're looking for a Category Executive to join our Brands team on a 12-month maternity cover contract, supporting the growth of exciting food categories across some of the UK's leading retailers.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands‑on experience in Category Management, working closely with commercial teams, customers, and internal stakeholders to turn shopper and consumer insights into winning category strategies.

What You'll Be Doing

• Building relationships with retail customers, including Buyers and Merchandisers.
• Analysing shopper, consumer, and market data to identify category opportunities.
• Supporting category reviews, range recommendations, and customer presentations.
• Creating engaging insight‑led reports and category stories.
• Monitoring category performance and identifying growth opportunities.
• Acting as the voice of the shopper within the business.
• Working closely with Commercial, Marketing, Brand, and Customer teams to support category growth.

About You

We're keen to hear from candidates who have:

A degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Food, Consumer Behaviour, or a related subject.

Completed a placement year or graduate programme within:

• Category Management
• Shopper Marketing
• Marketing
• Commercial
• FMCG
• Food Manufacturing
• Retail

Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.

Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.

A genuine interest in consumer behaviour, retail trends, and category growth.

The ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience with Nielsen, Circana (IRI), Kantar, or similar data sources.
• Exposure to UK grocery retailers.
• FMCG, food, branded, or plant-based category experience.

Why Join Pilgrim's Europe?

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to develop your career within one of Europe's leading food businesses, gaining exposure to Category, Commercial, Marketing, and Customer teams while working with major UK retailers.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Pension scheme
• Employee discount platform
• Ongoing training and development
• Exposure to senior stakeholders and retail customers
• Excellent career progression opportunities across Category, Commercial, and Marketing functions

Whether you're coming from a placement year, graduate scheme, or an entry‑level FMCG role, this is an excellent opportunity to build a successful career in Category Management within a leading food manufacturer.