Category Manager

Itsu Grocery; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus scheme

25 days holiday

Health insurance

Pension scheme

Hybrid working

Employee discount

Free lunch in office

Retail discounts

Cycle and EV salary sacrifice schemes

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Itsu Limited is seeking an experienced Category Manager for the UK grocery sector. You will manage buying relationships across retailers, deliver category updates for frozen and chilled categories, and analyze performance across customers while staying ahead of NPD and market trends.

The role requires 2+ years in FMCG, strong Excel skills, and a proactive, self-starting attitude within a fast-growing business.

Qualifications

• 2+ years FMCG experience in category management, finance, sales, or trade marketing.
• In-depth understanding of the UK Grocery market.
• Excellent communication skills to develop and manage key buying relationships.
• Flexible, can-do attitude with the willingness to work closely with others in a small team.
• Energy to work within a rapidly growing business that is constantly evolving.
• Strong Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Building strong relationships across buying contacts at multiple retailers.
• Delivering category updates for frozen & chilled both externally and internally.
• Tracking and analysis of itsu and competitor performance across multiple customers and categories, regularly updating team on NPD and performance.
• Sharing data and key insight across the business using data sources e.g. Nielsen, Dunnhumby, nectar.
• Understanding of shopper behaviour impacting both itsu and wider category performance.
• Tracking key food trends and working with our NPD, marketing, RGM and sales teams to drive and support insight-led innovation.

Skills

FMCG experience

UK grocery market knowledge

Communication skills

Problem solving

Self-starter

Tools

Excel

Job description

About Us:

At itsu, we're passionate about making healthy eating exciting, accessible, and affordable. As an Asian-inspired food brand, we’ve grown to over80 restaurants across the UK and Belgium, while building a thriving grocery business that reaches customers across Europe and beyond. Known for our fresh, high-quality food prepared daily in every shop, we're on an ambitious growth journey. With plans to expand our store estate, accelerate our grocery presence, and continue investing in innovation, technology, and our people, we're shaping the future of healthy fast food.

itsu [ grocery ], where this role sits, extends the much-loved itsu brand beyond our shops and into supermarkets, health food retailers, online channels, wholesale partners, and international markets. Our growing product range includes customer favourites such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza and bao, brilliant'broth, rice'noodles, and miso'easy, bringing the taste and quality of itsu into homes around the world.

Joining itsu means becoming part of a fast-paced, innovative business with big ambitions, a strong culture, and a shared mission to help people eat beautifully every day.

Key Role Responsibilities:

• Building strong relationships across buying contacts at multiple retailers
• Delivering category updates for frozen & chilled both externally and internally
• Tracking and analysis of itsu and competitor performance across multiple customers and categories, regularly updating team on NPD and performance
• Sharing data and key insight across the business using a range of data sources e.g. Nielsen, Dunnhumby, nectar
• Understanding of shopper behaviour impacting both itsu and wider category performance
• Tracking key food trends and working with our NPD, marketing, RGM and sales teams to drive and support insight-led innovation.

The ideal candidate will have:

• 2 years + FMCG experience [category management, finance, sales, trade marketing]
• In depth understanding of the UK Grocery market
• Proactive and creative problem solver
• Excellent communication skills to enable you to develop and manage a number of key buying relationships
• A flexible, can-do attitude with the willingness to work closely with others within a small team, a real self-starter
• The energy to work within a rapidly growing business that is constantly evolving and growing
• Strong Excel skills

What We Offer:

• Competitive Salary
• Competitive Bonus Scheme
• 25 days holiday + Bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Health Insurance
• Company Pension Scheme
• Hybrid Working model: 3 days in office, 2 days WFH
• 50% employeediscount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch when in the office
• Discounts at major retailers
• Salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes
• Development & Growth opportunities

At itsu [grocery], everyone’s taste matters, and so does who’s behind it. We celebrate diversity and are an equal opportunities employer. Applications from all backgrounds are encouraged. If you need support or adjustments to apply, we’ll happily accommodate.