Head of Category On Trade

Carlsberg Group; Hemel Hempstead; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beverage company is seeking a Head of Category – On Trade in Hemel Hempstead. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating strategies to grow beverage sales in the on-trade. This role includes managing a team, partnering with the Commercial Strategy team, and leading category proposition development. Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in FMCG, particularly within beer or soft drinks, and a strong commercial mindset. This position also offers competitive salary and extensive benefits.

Benefits

Monthly product allowance – alcoholic & non-alcoholic options

Private Medical options

Life Assurance

Company bonus scheme

Access to 24/7 GP services

Enhanced pension contribution

Access to a range of high street discounts

Qualifications

• Previous experience within an FMCG business, ideally in beer or soft drinks.
• Proven experience working within the On Trade, Licenced and/or Hospitality.
• Experience of managing a team and influencing at a senior level.

Responsibilities

• Develop solutions to grow beverages in the on-trade sub channels.
• Manage a motivated team, providing clarity and focus.
• Lead the development of category propositions.

Skills

Experience within FMCG business

On Trade experience

Team management

Commercial acumen

Cross-functional relationship management

Knowledge of shopper research

Job description

Entity / company: Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company

Location: Hybrid – travel to our head office in Hemel Hempstead, other Carlsberg Britvic sites & customer meetings

Head of Category – On Trade

Job Length: Permanent – Full Time

Competitive Salary with extensive benefits:

• Monthly product allowance – alcoholic & non-alcoholic options available
• Private Medical options
• Life Assurance
• Company bonus scheme
• Access to 24/7 GP services
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Access to a range of high street discounts

Carlsberg Britvic is the largest multi-beverage supplier in the UK and is home to some of the most iconic and popular beers & soft drinks, including Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, 1664, Poretti and Brooklyn to ale favourites such as Hobgoblin and Wainwright. For soft drinks, Carlsberg Britvic’s brands include J2O, Robinsons, Tango and London Essence along with the licence rights to the Pepsi portfolio in the UK including Pepsi MAX, 7UP, Lipton Iced Tea and Rockstar Energy.

With a strong national footprint, the Carlsberg Britvic business includes 6 production facilities and 16 logistics depot’s servicing customers up and down the UK. As these two historical businesses have come together, the one common goal remains, and that is ensuring our people succeed.

About the role:

As Head of Category for On Trade, you will be responsible for developing solutions to grow beverages in the on‑trade sub channels, and individual customers that deliver strong commercial outcomes for Carlsberg Britvic.

Role Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Commercial Strategy team to create compelling beverage narratives for our On Trade Customers.
• Managing a motivated team, providing clarity and focus on what success looks like – empowering, inspiring and motivating.
• Lead the development of category propositions to support the sell‑in of strategic priorities, innovation and gain distribution in the On Trade.
• Ensure management of any external contact strategies, aligning them to customer segmentation which deliver key category opportunities.
• Translate category vision into templates at subchannel level and develop a ‘path to purchase’ toolkit, creating recommendations for the On Trade teams.
• Work alongside Customer Marketing to share ‘path to purchase’ findings and insight to inform their activation plans.
• Lead the definition, scope, prioritisation and business alignment of category projects, including supporting shopper insight strategy.

Experience and Key Attributes:

• Previous experience within an FMCG business, ideally in beer or soft drinks
• Proven experience working within the On Trade, Licenced and/or Hospitality preferably both
• Experience of managing a team and influencing at a senior level
• Proven commercial acumen with a strategic mindset
• Knowledge of relevant route to market in the On Trade
• Ability to manage and build relationships cross functionally, internally and externally
• Evidence of developing customer strategies and objectives
• Excellent knowledge of both continuous data and ad hoc shopper research, and category insight experience with a highly developed knowledge of CGA & Kantar

Our commitment to diversity equity & inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences - including those of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses. We actively seek to create a safe and inclusive environment for all of our colleagues, where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and inclusive practices are embedded in everything we do.

We are happy to support accessibility needs, to ensure a fair and equitable experience for all candidates, so please do let us know if you require any adjustments during the recruitment process.

Application Process:

We read applications continuously, and vacancies may be filled anytime, so please apply as early as possible.

This is an exciting time to join our newly formed business – with their incredible individual history’s, innovation of products and some of the UK’s most iconic brands, Carlsberg Britvic strives to deliver the best service to our customers and consumers. We aim to make a difference, bringing together two diverse companies, our global reach enables opportunity, growth and a chance to work with some fantastic people.