Senior Category Manager

COREcruitment Ltd; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

COREcruitment Ltd in London is seeking a Senior Category Manager to drive the ambient category's performance across key retail channels. You will own strategy, pricing, promotions and supplier relationships in a fast-paced food business.

Based in the London office, this role offers full accountability, progression and a salary of £65,000 plus benefits. You will work cross-functionally with commercial, sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Category Management or senior equivalent in food/FMCG.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall ambient category strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Own category performance, driving sales growth, profitability, market share and margin improvement.
• Analyse market data, consumer trends, competitor activity and customer insights to identify opportunities.
• Lead range reviews, product assortment planning, rationalisation and new product development initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with retail, wholesale and foodservice customers and develop compelling category propositions.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing to develop category plans, promotions and customer-specific initiatives.
• Manage pricing, promotional effectiveness, forecasting and product lifecycle performance.
• Coordinate with procurement and supply chain to ensure product availability and cost-effective sourcing.

Skills

Category management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Senior Category Manager (Ambient) – Well Established Food Business – London - £65K + Benefits

My client is a well-established food business with a great reputation, impressive growth and ambitious future plans.

They are currently looking for a Senior Category Manager to join their team. The successful Senior Category Manager will be responsible for driving the performance, profitability and strategic development of the ambient category. Working closely with commercial, sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams, you will identify opportunities to maximise category growth, strengthen customer propositions and deliver sustainable sales and margin improvements.

This role is office based 5 days a week is the perfect opportunity for a talented category manager who is looking to join a fast-paced business who will offer full accountability and genuine progression opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement the overall category strategy for the ambient portfolio, aligned with wider business objectives.
• Take ownership of category performance, driving sales growth, profitability, market share and margin improvement.
• Analyse market data, consumer trends, competitor activity and customer insights to identify new opportunities.
• Lead range reviews, product assortment planning, rationalisation and new product development initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with key retail, wholesale and foodservice customers, understanding their needs and developing commercially compelling category propositions.
• Work closely with sales and marketing teams to develop category plans, promotional strategies and customer-specific initiatives.
• Manage pricing, promotional effectiveness, forecasting and product lifecycle performance.
• Collaborate with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure product availability, competitive sourcing and effective stock management.
• Monitor KPIs and prepare regular category performance reports, translating data into actionable commercial recommendations.
• Lead cross-functional projects designed to improve category performance, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Build a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, emerging food trends and opportunities for innovation within the ambient category.

The Ideal Senior Category Manager Candidate:

• Proven experience in a Category Management, Senior Category Management or equivalent commercial role within food, FMCG, grocery or foodservice.
• Strong understanding of the ambient food category, including product ranging, pricing, promotions and category development.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering sales growth, improving profitability and driving measurable commercial results.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret market data, sales performance and consumer insights.
• Experience working collaboratively with sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams.
• Strong commercial negotiation, stakeholder management and presentation skills.
• A strategic mindset combined with a hands-on approach to delivering results.