Category Manager - Off Trade

Bacardi; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading spirits manufacturer in the UK is seeking a Spirits Category Development Manager. The role involves developing category strategies, building relationships with key retailers, and utilizing data insights to drive growth. Ideal candidates will have FMCG experience, strong analytical skills, and be comfortable in a cross-functional environment. Join a high-performing team that values collaboration and innovation.

Benefits

Competitive Pay Package

Paid Time Off

Retirement/Pension Plan

Medical and Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Programs

Best-in-class family-friendly leave policies

Qualifications

• Ability to turn data into actionable insights and commercial strategies.
• Experience managing and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Tenacious and driven with a creative flair.

Responsibilities

• Develop category strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Build relationships with key customers to drive growth.
• Lead range reviews and optimize shelf presence.

Skills

Analytical skills

Relationship building

Storytelling

Market insights

Customer collaboration

Education

Minimum 2 years relevant FMCG Category/Insights experience

Tools

Nielsen

Loyalty card data

Job description

Overview

[Please note this is a Direct Search led by Bacardi, Applications from agencies will not be accepted nor will fees be paid for unsolicited CVs.]

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

If you’re data savvy, naturally inquisitive, great at building relationships and a natural storyteller, then come and join us as a Spirits Category Development Manager working with major Grocery customer in the UK.

Bacardi is a major Spirits manufacture with a premium product portfolio including Grey Goose, Bacardi Rum, Martini, Patron and Bombay Sapphire to name a few! As part of the Bacardi family, you’ll be partnering with major retailer customer to help shape the future of the Spirits category in the UK and deliver Category growth through a deep understanding of shoppers and consumers.

At Bacardi we’re especially proud of our Primos and Culture so if you want to be part of a high performing team with an all in mindset then we’d love to see you apply.

About You

You’ll have the ability to get stuck into the detail of the data while also stepping back to see the big picture and unlock future growth. Tenacious, driven, and confident with a creative flair whilst working collaboratively to get the job done. Able to multi skill effectively and be at ease leading projects in this highly cross-functional role. Passionate for our Brands, the Off Trade and the Consumer.

RESPONSIBILITIES

WITH OUR CONSUMER AT THE HEART YOUR KEY

• Category Strategy & Insights
• Be the expert voice on market, category, and shopper trends across Spirits, Vermouth, and RTDs.
• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business objectives and customer needs to grow the category
• Analyse syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI, Kantar, loyalty card data) and shopper insights to identify growth opportunities and inform decision-making
• Forecast trends and proactively identify risks and opportunities within the portfolio by customer
• Customer & Commercial Collaboration
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, and RGM teams to develop compelling sell stories and execution plans
• Support customer engagement with category vision and strategy, influencing decision-makers and driving joint value creation

• Execution Excellence
• Lead range reviews, assortment planning, and planogram development to optimize shelf presence and ease of shop
• Deliver merchandising and promotional strategies that enhance category performance and shopper satisfaction
• Create and maintain category toolkits, scorecards, and reporting dashboards for internal and external stakeholders
• Brand & Portfolio Development
• Collaborate with Marketing teams on NPD and brand projects, ensuring alignment with category strategy
• Provide guidance on distribution, pricing, and promotional mechanics for new and existing products

SKILLS

- THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO CREATE YOUR LEGACY

• Minimum 2 years relevant FMCG Category/Insights experience with a good understand of the business cycle and customer relationships (Commercial or Marketing experience beneficial)
• Strong analytical skills, comfortable mining and interpreting data – experience with Nielsen and loyalty card data desirable
• Proven ability to translate data into actionable insights and commercial strategies
• Experienced in managing and influencing senior stakeholders internally and in customers
• A flair for presenting and story telling
• Highly motivated to succeed, desire for independence and ownership of the role and customer relationships

PERSONAL QUALITIES – SHARE OUR FOUNDER’S PASSION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL FLAIR

• Self-Awareness - Reflective, emotionally intelligent, and aware of impact on others
• People Agility - Skilled at navigating complex relationships and driving collective performance
• Mental Agility - Strategic thinker with execution focus and creative problem-solving
• Change Agility - Curious, resilient, and growth-oriented with a test-and-learn mindset

LEADERSHIP AGILITY

At Bacardi we care deeply about finding brilliant talent who can bring the following personal attributes to help elevate our 3Fs: Fearless, Family, Founder culture to the next level.

• Belonging: You have a strong capacity to create a culture of ‘Belonging’, where people feel appreciated for who they are, what they do, and who they can become
• Self-Awareness: You have high levels of self-awareness, are reflective and know yourself well, understanding both your own strengths and weaknesses and your impact on others
• People Agility: You bring a deep ability to understand and relate to people and navigate through tough situations to harness and multiply collective performance
• Results Agility: You demonstrate consistent delivery of results in first-time situations by inspiring teams, exhibiting a presence that builds confidence in yourself and others.
• Mental Agility: You can think critically to penetrate complex problems and expand the possibilities by making fresh connections. You think strategically whilst being execution focused and bring creativity to the challenges you’re presented with
• Change Agility: You have a deep natural curiosity, desire to experiment and ability to effectively deal with the heat of change. You have a growth and learning mindset: ready to test, stumble, learn and apply from experience

Disclaimer: Bacardi seeks talent from all backgrounds to bring diversity of thought, agility and capability to our organization across the globe. We promote a working environment where all employees are treated and rewarded fairly. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination that adversely affects individuals or groups on the basis of national origin, race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, and any other legally protected aspect of a person’s identity.

U.S. applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.

Perks of Working for us

At Bacardi, we are committed to providing our Primos (employees) with a comprehensive Total Rewards package of compensation, benefits, incentives, allowances, well-being, and much more to meet the needs of themselves and their families. It goes beyond just Cash! The total rewards program is based on pay for performance, whereby the incentive programs are linked to company and individual performance.

Compensation, Paid Time Off & Retirement:

• Competitive Pay Package
• Competitive Holiday/Paid Time Off, plus additional days offered ( i.e., volunteer day, allowing you to give back to the community)
• Retirement/Pension Plan

Health & Wellbeing

• Medical, Critical Illness, and Life Insurance
• Calm Meditation App subscription (free)
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Best-in-class, family-friendly, and inclusive leave policies

Additional Benefits

The benefits /perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Bacardi, your work location, and are subject to change. Some benefits may be subject to an employee contribution. Some benefits may be fully or partially subsidized. Incentive plans are linked to the nature of your employment and can vary based on region, market, function or brand.