Interim Strategic Category Manager

Nestlé; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global nutrition company is seeking a Strategic Category Manager for a 3-month fixed-term contract. This position involves defining and executing the commercial category strategy across their Dairy range, utilizing insights to drive growth. Ideal candidates will have experience in an FMCG context and possess strong analytical skills. The role offers a hybrid working model based in Crawley, allowing flexibility with 1-2 office days per week becoming a key partner for customers. Join a supportive team committed to inclusion and diversity.

Benefits

Attractive salary

Opportunities for career growth

Access to industry-leading training programs

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a strategic category role.
• Experience in an FMCG environment, particularly in infant nutrition.
• Ability to transform data into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver long-term plans to achieve strategic goals.
• Build three-year category plans using insights.
• Support the sales team with category knowledge and leadership.

Skills

Analytical approach

Creating category plans

Customer-centric mindset

Adaptability

Leadership skills

Job description

Position Snapshot

Strategic Category Manager: 3 mth fixed term contract – Immediate Start

Business Area: Nestlé Nutrition

Location: Gatwick (Hybrid working – approx. 1-2 flexible days a week in the office)

Attractive Salary pro rata

Position Summary

The Commercial Development Team (CDT) within Nestlé Nutrition have a fantastic opportunity for a Strategic Category Manager to join the team on a 3 month fixed term contract. This is an exciting and pivotal role that will see you develop, lead and execute the commercial category, channel and customer strategy across our Dairy range on brands including Nesquik, Starbucks, NIDO and Milo, as well as leading our Integrated commercial planning process and ‘acceleration beyond the core’ projects. You will do this across a range of customers across a number of important channels in the UK&I.

We are looking for an experienced commercial individual who has the ability to always ‘put the category first’ ensuring we operate as a real impartial strategic partner to our customers to support long term category growth that drives our commercial ambitions.

A little bit about us

For more than 155 years, our Nutrition & Dairy products have been welcomed into homes around the world, and our long history has established us as the nutritional partner of choice for families and individuals. We provide a wide range of products and services across every life stage - from newborn to adult - to support lifelong health and well-being for all. Grounded in our deep understanding of today's nutritional challenges and the link between food and health, we leverage our R&D expertise to offer tasty and balanced diets which cater to the different needs of mothers, babies, young children, teens and adults.

Together with like-minded partners, we will continue to be there for everyone, every day, at every stage of life.

Our ecosystem has continued to evolve, with new partnerships to help consumers connect with our brands, and our social platforms provide invaluable support, information, fun and connection for our consumers.

A day in the life of a Strategic Category Manager...

You will be responsible for defining and delivering future based opportunities using your initiative to build long term plans and achieve our ambitious strategic goals aligned to the wider business.

You will build market leading 3-year category plans using shopper, retailer and consumer insight, coupled with channel and customer prioritisation, category strategy outputs, pricing and promotional strategies. Our Dairy UK&I business comprises large mature brands as well as exciting new brands so you will need to demonstrate exceptional commercial acumen to drive improved growth and profitability.

Cross functional working will be a key part of this role and there is a particular need to give consistent year round support to our sales team, showcasing category thought-leadership and building relations with key external stakeholders.

We are looking for you to play a pivotal role in building category knowledge and capability across the Nutrition teams through coaching, supporting and constructive challenge to help us continue to strive for excellence in this space.

What will make you successful

To be successful you will already have some fantastic category and commercial experience under your belt, ideally with proven experience of delivering in a strategic category role previously. If you have worked in an FMCG environment with experience in the infant nutrition category and/or working across the Big 4 retailers this would be desirable. This really is a unique opportunity to develop your leadership skills by delivering new thinking into the Category whilst being a part of a supportive and innovative team.

You will also:

• Have a great analytical approach to drive insight and be able to transform data into compelling stories that drives actions and return on investment.
• Have experience of creating and selling winning category plans within an FMCG environment.
• Be adaptable, demonstrating agility to use your initiative to solve challenges rapidly and often in a creative way.
• Understand the importance of working in a customer centric way.
• Be courageous, we’re not afraid to think differently and embrace new ideas. We want you to disrupt what we do in the right way to drive great results and change.
• Love of learning, understanding 'why?' and ability to share this both externally and internally in a compelling way.

Why Nestlé?

Across Nestlé, we are creating an environment where we all feel we belong, we are the best we can be, and we win together. We want people to feel they can be themselves, dare greatly and believe their best is yet to come.

We will actively encourage you to gain different experiences in a wide range of roles across both Category Sales and Marketing. We want our people to have the breadth and depth of experience and as a result access fantastic career opportunities which could lead to a wide range of exciting roles both in the UK and across other markets.

Supported by our industry leading eBusiness and Sales Academies which develops you in all aspects of eCommerce, customer and category management, you truly can achieve your full potential whatever that might mean for you.

What you need to know

We will be considering and interviewing candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

Job advert posting date 01/12/2025

Job advert closing date 08/12/2025

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect. When we embrace diversity and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. People of all gender identities, ethnically diverse individuals, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT+ community are strongly encouraged to apply. If there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the application process, please let us know. We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity, our people make up a number of Colleague Networks who represent different experiences and communities who hold us accountable in creating a sense of belonging for all, and our values create the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution you bring. Find out more about our Colleague Networks here: Diversity, equity and inclusion | Nestlé (nestle.co.uk)

We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.Be yourself, everyone else is taken!