Category Manager Benelux at Oatly

Oatly AB; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday

Brand-new office

RSUs

Pension plan

Bike plan

Vitality allowance

Wellbeing tools

Job summary

Oatly AB in Amsterdam is seeking a Benelux Category Manager to drive category insights across the Netherlands and Belgium using data and shopper insights to guide commercial decisions. You will develop a compelling category vision for ambient and chilled plant-based drinks, translate it into planograms, manage assortments, promotions, and work with retail partners.

You will collaborate with Commercial, Portfolio and Innovation teams, travel occasionally, and contribute to category growth within

Qualifications

• At least three years of FMCG experience in the Dutch market.
• Analytical and data-driven with ability to tell a clear story from numbers.
• Fluent in Dutch and English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Use raw data sets to identify category insights and inform decisions.
• Develop a compelling ambient and Benelux category vision for growth.
• Translate vision into winning planogram recommendations and assortment strategies.
• Build relationships with Benelux retail partners and provide fact-based recommendations.
• Support new listings and distribution opportunities with cross-functional teams.
• Align product development plans with category trends and shopper behavior.
• Maintain tools to track category performance and improve forecast accuracy.

Skills

Data analysis

Excel

PowerPoint

Dutch and English fluency

Storytelling with data

Education

HBO or University degree

Tools

Nielsen data

Circana

IRI

YouGov

Job description

Hello potential future Oatly employee

It's us. The original oat drink company. At Oatly, we're on a mission to make it easier for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet's resources. Simple as that.

Across the world people’s consumption habits and diets are evolving to be more plant-based. Enter Oatly, the #1 oat based dairy alternative producer in the world with products spanning multiple categories.

We’re determined on being part of the discussion on the long-term future of the food and beverage industry. To keep this movement going, we need more brilliant minds to come work with us to keep the momentum going and the Oatly flowing.

Sustainability, nutritional health and trust are at the heart of what we do. We are building a culture that constantly upgrades each other so we can upgrade the planet. This is a company that shows great respect and a fearless approach to make positive change. Does this feel exciting? Well, this is where you come in.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO

We’re looking for a Benelux Category Manager to join our team in Amsterdam. In this role, you will use data and shopper insights to strengthen Oatly’s understanding of category trends and drivers across the Netherlands and Belgium. Your work will help us make better decisions, build convincing category stories and support our ambition to become a strong leader within the plant-based drinks category.

Here are the main elements of the role:

• Use raw data and different data sets to identify category and shopper insights, helping Oatly make better commercial and strategic decisions.
• Develop a compelling category vision for ambient and chilled plant-based drinks, focused on driving category conversion and value creation for both Oatly and our retail partners.
• Translate the category vision into winning planogram (Spaceman) recommendations, while evaluating assortment, promotion and activation choices.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key Benelux retail partners, providing fact-based recommendations that help unlock plant-based category growth.
• Work closely with the Commercial team to support new listings and distribution opportunities, and partner with the Portfolio and Innovation teams to align new product development plans with category trends and shopper behavior.
• Maintain and develop tools for effective tracking and reporting of Oatly’s category performance, while working closely with the sales teams to improve forecast accuracy.

You will collaborate closely with the wider Benelux team, including the General Manager and Head of Retail, as well as colleagues across Commercial, Portfolio and Innovation. You will also share insights and best practices with category managers and the international insights team across EMEA.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO BRING TO THE TABLE

To be successful in this role, you have at least three years of relevant experience working within an FMCG company, either on the supplier or retailer side, in the Dutch market. You are analytical and data-driven by nature, but equally comfortable turning numbers into a clear and compelling story.

WHO WE NEED YOU TO BE

• You have a HBO or University degree.
• You have experience working with data such as Nielsen, Circana, IRI and YouGov.
• You have excellent Excel skills and are comfortable with PowerPoint.
• You are a self-starter who enjoys pulling meaningful insights from data and communicating the story behind the numbers in a convincing way.
• You are comfortable switching between strategic thinking and hands-on operational work.
• You communicate fluently in Dutch and English, both verbally and in writing.
• You bring a growth mindset, enjoying embracing the unknown.
• You are eager to explore how AI can support and strengthen our work.
• Knowledge of the Belgian retail landscape is an advantage.
• French language skills are considered an advantage but not a must.

This role is based in Amsterdam and requires occasional travel.

Another bulleted list felt redundant, so we wrote this long sentence with all the ways we sweeten the deal to work with us: 30 days holiday (plus bank holidays), an awesome brand-new office (with amazing cappuccinos), RSUs (restricted stock units), cost-free pension plan, bike plan, vitality allowance, tools to maintain mental and physical wellbeing and many more.

YOUR APPLICATION

Phew! Well done if you’ve got this far. We’re glad we’ve still got your attention because we’ve got one last super important point to make.

As you can probably tell, we’re a norm-breaking company. For us, diversity and differences are an obvious asset. We know that amazing candidates can sometimes be put off applying for a job unless they can tick every box, and that makes us really sad. So please trust your gut and pop in your application if it’s feeling right. Good luck!

#LI-TA1