Junior Food Category Analyst

Applegreen; Dublin; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Applegreen is seeking a Junior Food Category Analyst to join its Commercial Food team in Ireland. The role focuses on supporting weekly and monthly food performance reports, category and store analysis, and maintaining accurate data trackers.

You will assist Buyers and Category Managers with day-to-day activities and supplier-related tasks, while helping monitor stock, promotions and new product launches. The ideal candidate will have strong Excel skills, comfort with data analysis, and an

Qualifications

• Commercial/retail data analysis and reporting experience.
• Strong Excel and data accuracy.
• Familiarity with Power BI and ERP systems is a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
• Good communication across teams and departments.
• Interest in food and retail market.

Responsibilities

• Prepare weekly and monthly Food performance reports (sales, margin, waste, availability, promotions).
• Analyze product, category and store performance; highlight key trends and exceptions.
• Maintain trackers, reports and product information; ensure data accuracy.
• Provide admin support to Buyers and Category Managers on daily activities.
• Assist with supplier information, pricing, product setup and recipe management.
• Coordinate new product launches, range changes and promotions; ensure stakeholders are informed.
• Forecast and stock management around promotions and seasonal activity.
• Monitor waste and availability; identify items or stores needing investigation.

Skills

Excel skills

Data analysis

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Adaptability

Tools

Power BI

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Established in 1992, Applegreen is a leading convenience roadside retailer in the Republic of Ireland, the UK and the US in both large-scale Motorway Service Areas and Travel Plazas, as well as smaller petrol stations. The business has grown to over €4BN in annual revenue, operating 430 Motorway Service Plazas and forecourt sites internationally and employing over 17,000 people.

Applegreen is in a rapid growth phase and to support this ambitious growth, we are seeking to onboard a Junior Food Category Analyst to join our team.

This role will form part of the Commercial Food team. The successful candidate will be a confident people person who can fit into Applegreen seamlessly and adopt a hands-on approach to their role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the preparation and distribution of weekly and monthly Food performance reports, including sales, margin, waste, availability, stock and promotional performance.
• Assist the Food team with analysis of product, category and store performance, highlighting key trends and exceptions for further review.
• Maintain accurate trackers, reports and product information, ensuring data is kept up to date and issues are identified promptly.
• Provide administrative support across the Food category team, helping Buyers and Category Managers with day-to-day category activities.
• Support invoice administration and reconciliation, investigating invoice queries and working with internal teams and suppliers to resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with the management of supplier information, pricing, product set-up, recipe management and other commercial administration.
• Work closely with the Supply Chain team to monitor stock availability, deliveries and supply issues and help escalat potential risks.
• Support the coordination of new product launches, range changes and promotional activity, ensuring relevant information is accurate and communicated to key stakeholders.
• Assist with forecasting and stock management activities, particularly around promotions, new product launches and seasonal activity.
• Support the monitoring of waste and availability, helping identify products, stores or categories requiring further investigation.
• Liaise with suppliers and internal departments to obtain information and resolve day-to-day queries.
• Support category reviews and presentations by gathering and preparing relevant sales, customer and product information.
• Assist with competitor and market reviews to help the Food team understand emerging products, pricing and Food to Go trends.
• Maintain organised records, trackers, product files and documentation for the Food team.
• Support improvements to reporting and administrative processes, identifying opportunities to make routine tasks more efficient and accurate.
• Provide general analytical and administrative support across the Food team as required.

The Candidate should have the following:

Qualifications, experience & skills

• Experience in a commercial, retail, food, supply-chain or administrative environment would be beneficial.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, with strong Excel skills.
• Comfortable working with numbers and analysing data to identify trends or discrepancies.
• Previous exposure to Power BI or similar reporting tools would be beneficial but is not essential.
• Experience with SAP or another ERP system would be advantageous but is not essential.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Confident written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working with colleagues across Commercial, Operations, Finance and Supply Chain.
• An interest in food, retail and the Food to Go / QSR market.
• A positive attitude with a strong willingness to learn and develop.

Additional key skills & attributes:

• A dynamic individual who adapts well to change and can thrive in a rapidly growing organisation that continues to evolve.
• Comfortable working with data, reports and commercial information
• High level of accuracy, particularly when dealing with invoices, prices, product information and reporting.
• Able to manage recurring reporting deadlines alongside day-to-day requests from the Food team.
• Interested in understanding what drives sales, margin, waste and availability.
• Willing to investigate issues rather than simply report them.
• Comfortable working across Commercial, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance and with external suppliers.
• Able to respond positively to changing priorities in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Takes a logical approach to resolving data, invoice, stock and administrative issues.
• Motivated to build analytical, food and commercial knowledge and take on greater responsibility over time.
• Willing to travel on an ad hoc basis if required.
• Further information about Applegreen can be found here