Head of Category

Lotus Bakeries; St Albans; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the FMCG sector is searching for a passionate Head of Category to join their ambitious team. As a key player, you will lead category strategy for BEAR and Peter's Yard, ensuring strong customer relationships and data-driven decisions drive revenue growth. Your role will empower your team while providing strategic insights to the Managing Director's leadership team.

Qualifications

• Experience in a Senior Category Development Manager or Head of Category role in FMCG.
• Proficiency with data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the category team and set clear objectives for Category Managers.
• Develop the UK Category Vision and Strategy.
• Manage category performance data and reporting.

Skills

Data proficiency

Problem-solving

Communication

Leadership

Commercial acumen

Tools

Nielsen

Circana

Kantar

Dunnhumby

SIP

Job description

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We are looking for a passionate new Head of Category to join an ambitious and high performing business that has driven continuous double digit growth for the last 3 years.

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will be responsible for leading a team of 3 to deliver outstanding category advice to our key customers, while internally delivering insights, reporting, and category strategy to unlock growth.

Key Responsibilities & Objectives

Leadership and Team empowerment

• You’ll lead the category team for BEAR and Peter’s Yard in the UK by setting clear direction, encouraging your team and the wider business to always deliver exceptional results, empowering them through trusted leadership and personal development.
• Set clear objectives and develop plans for 3 Category Managers to support their growth.
• Collaborate with our colleagues in the wider business to identify and deliver insights into the UK and Global Brand Marketing teams to inform strategy.
• This is a customer-facing role. While you may not handle retailer accounts daily, building and maintaining strong relationships with key contacts is essential to ensure our strategy and vision are understood and supported.
• Maintain a strong understanding of retailer strategies and the wider environment to ensure we remain customer and shopper centric.
• Develop and leverage an external network to gain insights from other categories and businesses.

Strategic Insights

• Utilize data effectively to enable better business decisions.
• Be a key member of the MD’s leadership team, representing the voice of the category and providing objective insights.
• Develop the UK Category Vision and Strategy for BEAR and Peter’s Yard, translating it into actionable plans for each retailer.
• Lead the strategy for Revenue Growth Management.
• Initiate our annual planning with brand and category diagnostics to ensure insights-driven brand plans.
• Ensure the right data is available and used appropriately to inform strategy, planning, and retailer relationships.
• Manage continuous data collection and reporting on category performance, providing monthly KPIs for leadership meetings.
• Oversee the UK BEAR and Peter’s Yard category budget to maximize value from data investments.

Profile

You are likely an existing Senior Category Development Manager or Head of Category within an FMCG environment.

Key qualities include:

• A passion for data and proficiency with tools like Nielsen, Circana, Kantar, Dunnhumby, SIP.
• Strong problem-solving skills with experience using complex insight data to develop strategies.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships internally and externally, fostering collaboration and unlocking opportunities.
• Ability to prioritize in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Proven commercial acumen to evaluate how strategies impact sales and profitability.
• Inspirational leadership skills, with a passion for contributing to company culture and a willingness to get involved.