Category Executive Maternity Cover, Category Executive Maternity Cover

Pilgrim's Europe; Uxbridge; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Employee discount platform

Ongoing training and development

Job summary

Pilgrim's Europe is seeking a Category Executive to join the Brands team on a 12-month maternity cover, supporting growth of food categories across UK retailers. You will gain hands-on experience in Category Management, turning shopper and consumer insights into winning category strategies.

The role requires a degree in a related field, strong analytics, and advanced Excel/PowerPoint skills, with collaboration across Commercial, Marketing, Brand, and Customer teams.

Qualifications

• We are seeking candidates with a degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Food, or related subjects.
• Placement year, graduate programme, or FMCG exposure preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort with data.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder influence

Relationship building

Presentation skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Data interpretation

Education

Degree in Business/Marketing/Economics/Related

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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.
• Analyzing 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 developmentExposure 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.