Customer Category Manager

Arla Foods Plc; Middleton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading FMCG company in England seeks a Customer Category Manager to drive category growth through strategic insights and strong stakeholder relationships. The role requires a proven track record in FMCG, proficiency in data systems like Kantar and Nielsen, and excellent relationship-building skills. You will tailor growth strategies, manage data-driven insights, and influence planning processes, contributing to both short-term and long-term success. The opportunity includes competitive salary, hybrid working, and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

26 days holiday & Bank Holidays

Hybrid & Flexible working

Pension contribution matched up to 6%

BUPA healthcare

Bonus scheme

Free to use onsite Gym

Discounted products in Staff Shop

Commitment to training and development

Flexible Benefits - additional leave

Cheese hamper at Christmas

Qualifications

• Strong experience in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
• Ability to translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Proven success in customer-facing roles.

Responsibilities

• Drive category direction by understanding market performance.
• Leverage data systems to identify growth opportunities.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders.

Skills

FMCG category experience

Commercial acumen

Relationship-building

Data proficiency

Shopper behavior understanding

Tools

Kantar

Nielsen

Job description

Are you a passionate and strategic category expert with a keen eye for developing excellence in retail category execution plans?

Do you want to be part of a growing team that will be leading the direction around how to unlock category and commercial growth?

Do you thrive with high levels of autonomy and have a hunger for delivering commercial results from thorough category and shopper understanding?

What do we offer?

• Competitive salary (salary discussed at application stage)
• 26 days holiday & Bank Holidays
• Hybrid & Flexible working
• Pension contribution matched up to 6%
• 4 x annual salary life assurance
• BUPA healthcare
• Bonus scheme
• Free to use onsite Gym
• Access to discounted products in our Staff Shop
• People agenda commitment to training and development
• Flexible Benefits - buy up to 5 days additional annual leave, reward gateway scheme - discounts with various retailers via my benefit platform.
• Most importantly - Cheese hamper at Christmas!

How will you make an impact?

As a Customer Category Manager at Arla, you’ll be the go‑to expert for your aligned retailers, categories, and channels – translating market performance into actionable growth opportunities. You’ll use data‑driven insights to influence and execute plans that benefit Arla and our retail partners in alignment with strategic ambitions.

Working closely with sales and marketing, you’ll drive results and execution through commercialised category and shopper insights, while building strong relationships across retailer teams. You’ll be an integral part of the team, actively contributing to shaping the Customer Development team culture.

Key responsibilities

• Be the expert in your aligned retailers, categories and channels, understanding market performance.
• Leverage retailer and market data systems to identify clear growth opportunities, for both Arla and our retail partners, and execute these plans in line with strategic ambitions.
• Build and maintain strong cross‑functional relationships with key stakeholders at all levels to drive category direction and performance in both the short and long term.
• Tailor and implement growth strategies across all channels (main estate, online, conv) by focusing on promo, pricing, placement, and range/displays (4 P’s).
• Lead range reviews and in‑store trials/pilots for your customer (through a shopper & category‑first approach) to deliver objective insight and create competitive advantage for Arla and our customers (e.g., fixture, POS, and digital trials).
• Adapt and deliver long‑term category strategies in your customers and contribute to the annual planning process, guiding the strategic direction for your account.
• Proactively manage own workload to deliver on key priorities and cascade key messages upwards to support strategic delivery.

What will make you successful?

• Strong FMCG category experience and commercial acumen to drive sustainable growth for Arla and its customers.
• Proficiency in data systems such as Kantar and Nielsen, with the ability to transform insights into actionable, long‑term strategies that deliver measurable results.
• Strong relationship‑building and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven success in customer‑facing roles, successfully delivering growth and creating value for customers.
• A growth mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and identifying opportunities for personal development.
• Genuine passion for understanding shopper behaviour and leveraging those insights to create competitive advantage.

Would you like to join us?

Please apply directly or contact Olivia Pine, Talent Acquisition Partner at Arla Foods, for more information.

The closing date for this position is 5th January 2025 and only CVs sent directly via the link will be considered.