Category Manager

Michael Page; London Borough of Wandsworth; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible working environment

Exposure to senior leadership

Career development opportunities

Excellent benefits

Job summary

Michael Page is seeking a commercially minded Category Manager in South West London to own category strategy, drive insights and engage customers across a growing personal care portfolio.

You will lead category reviews, leverage Circana/NielsenIQ/Kantar data, and collaborate with sales and marketing to influence retailer decisions and joint planning. Hybrid role with strong leadership exposure.

Qualifications

• Experience in Category Management within FMCG.
• Strong understanding of category principles, shopper behaviour and retail dynamics.
• Experience using Circana, NielsenIQ, Kantar or other syndicated data sources.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience working with customer-facing sales teams.
• Proactive and collaborative approach with influence to challenge.

Responsibilities

• Lead category strategy and recommendations across key retail customers.
• Use market, shopper and EPOS data to identify commercial opportunities and category trends.
• Develop category reviews, range recommendations and customer-selling stories.
• Create engaging presentations that support customer discussions and business growth.
• Partner with sales teams to influence retailer decisions and support joint business planning.
• Provide insight and analysis to support innovation, distribution and promotional strategies.
• Monitor competitor activity, market performance and changing consumer behaviours.
• Build strong relationships with data providers and external insight partners.
• Deliver regular category performance reporting and actionable recommendations to internal stakeholders.
• Act as the category expert across the business, helping shape commercial and strategic decisions.

Skills

Category Management

FMCG

Data-driven

Stakeholder engagement

Presentation skills

Tools

Circana

NielsenIQ

Kantar

Job description

We're looking for a Category Manager to become the voice of the category, shopper and consumer within a growing personal care business in South West London. This is a highly visible role, combining category strategy, insight and customer engagement to drive growth across a portfolio of well-known brands.

Client Details

Our client is a small business with big brands. Operating within the personal care sector, they combine the agility, pace and entrepreneurial spirit of a growing organisation with a portfolio of recognised, category-leading brands.

Despite the strength and scale of their brands, the culture has retained a warm, family feel. It's a business where people know one another, successes are celebrated, and collaboration comes naturally. You'll be given the autonomy to make an impact, while working within a supportive environment where ideas are welcomed and individuals are encouraged to grow.

Working closely with sales, marketing and leadership teams, this role offers broad exposure and the opportunity to influence both internal strategy and customer relationships. It's an ideal opportunity for someone looking to join a business where they can genuinely shape outcomes, rather than feeling like a small cog in a large organisation.

Description

The Category Manager will play a key role in delivering category growth through insight-led recommendations, compelling customer engagement and strategic category thinking.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading category strategy and recommendations across key retail customers.
• Using market, shopper and EPOS data to identify commercial opportunities and category trends.
• Developing category reviews, range recommendations and customer-selling stories.
• Creating engaging presentations that support customer discussions and business growth.
• Partnering with sales teams to influence retailer decisions and support joint business planning.
• Providing insight and analysis to support innovation, distribution and promotional strategies.
• Monitoring competitor activity, market performance and changing consumer behaviours.
• Building strong relationships with data providers and external insight partners.
• Delivering regular category performance reporting and actionable recommendations to internal stakeholders.
• Acting as the category expert across the business, helping shape commercial and strategic decisions.

This role offers a great balance of insight, strategy and customer-facing category management, making it ideal for someone who enjoys influencing decisions and driving tangible commercial outcomes.

Profile

We're looking for a commercially minded Category Manager who combines strong analytical skills with the ability to influence stakeholders through data-driven recommendations.

You will ideally have:

• Experience in Category Management within FMCG
• Strong understanding of category principles, shopper behaviour and retail dynamics.
• Experience using Circana, NielsenIQ, Kantar or other syndicated data sources.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to translate data into compelling, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience working closely with customer-facing sales teams.
• A proactive and collaborative approach with the confidence to challenge and influence.

Job Offer

For the Category Manager, the following is on offer:

• Competitive salary of £50,000-£60,000 plus excellent benefits
• Hybrid working with 3 days per week in the South West London office, with great transport links across London and Surrey
• Flexible working environment
• The opportunity to work with recognised brands in a growing business
• High visibility and exposure to senior leadership
• Career development opportunities within a collaborative and supportive culture

This is an excellent opportunity for a Category Manager who wants the responsibility, visibility and influence often associated with a smaller business, while working with brands that have significant presence and recognition within their categories