Category Manager - Private Label

Foodstuffs North Island; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free car parking

Southern Cross health plan

Onsite café and subsidised meals

Flexible working options

Learning and development programs

Vaccinations and wellness programs

Internal social groups (Tribes)

Job summary

Foodstuffs Own Brands Limited is seeking a Product Manager to lead the strategy, performance, and development of a portfolio of Own Brand products in New Zealand. You will shape category strategies, drive growth, and collaborate with regional category teams and supplier partners to deliver innovative, customer-led products.

You will lead lifecycle management, build strong internal and external partnerships, and ensure compliance with food safety and Own Brand standards in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Commercially savvy product/category professional with FMCG experience.
• Ability to translate customer insights into category strategies.
• Experience with supplier engagement and range reviews.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full lifecycle of Own Brand products from concept to performance.
• Develop category and brand strategies aligned with customer insights.
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Lead category reviews and identify growth opportunities using data.
• Manage supplier performance, contracts and negotiations.
• Drive new product development and renovations.
• Monitor sales, margin and market share.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and Own Brand standards.
• Lead cross-functional projects to deliver strategic outcomes.

Skills

FMCG knowledge

Category management

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Relationship building

Tools

Nielsen

Dunnhumby

Job description

Ko wai mātou – About us

Kia ora. We’re Foodies. You know Gilmours, New World, PAK’nSAVE, and Four Square, right? That’s us!

Foodstuffs Own brands Limited is a 100% New Zealand owned and operated organisation, owned by the two Foodstuffs regional co-operatives. Own Brands is the business responsible for product development, sourcing and quality control of our Private Label products, with the most iconic of which being the much loved Pams brand!

From our humble beginnings when we supplied just Pams baking and custard powder, we now boast a range of over 3000 products with everything from baking to butchery, to fresh produce and grocery!

Te Tūranga – About the role

As a Product Manager in our Own Brands team, you will be part of building the most preferred Private Label and Exclusive brands in New Zealand!

You’ll lead the strategy, performance, and development of a portfolio of Own Brand products—ensuring they deliver value for our customers and our co-operative.

This is a unique opportunity to work closely with regional category teams and supplier partners to shape category strategies, drive growth, and bring innovative, customer-led products to life.

Ngā kawenga – What you’ll be responsible for

• Managing the full lifecycle of Own Brand products—from concept through to performance optimisation
• Developing and delivering category and brand strategies aligned with customer insights and regional priorities
• Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders and supplier partners
• Leading category reviews and identifying growth opportunities through data and insights (e.g. Nielsen, Dunnhumby)
• Managing supplier performance, contracts, and negotiations
• Driving new product development, renovations, and innovation pipelines
• Monitoring performance metrics including sales, margin, and market share
• Ensuring compliance with food safety, regulatory, and Own Brand standards
• Leading projects and cross-functional initiatives to deliver strategic outcomes

He kōrero mōu – About you

You’re a commercially savvy product or category professional with a passion for the food industry and a strong understanding of FMCG. You combine commercial acumen, critical thinking, and customer insight to identify opportunities, solve problems, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

Confident and adaptable, you use data and market trends to inform decisions and drive performance. You’re a strong relationship builder who works effectively across teams and with external partners, influencing for successful delivery, bringing a proactive mindset, attention to detail, and a focus on continuous improvement.

Experience in FMCG, grocery retail, or the food industry is preferred, along with exposure to category management, private label brands, supplier engagement, range reviews, and procurement processes. Familiarity with tools such as Nielsen or Dunnhumby would be an advantage.

Ngā painga - What we offer

We’re committed to providing awesome experiences for our people, including offering a range of benefits

• Free carparking - we’ve got over 1,000 carparks including EV plugs
• Southern Cross plans for you and your family
• Onsite café with subsidised meals, mini mart, 5% discount at our retail stores
• Flexible working options, a day off on your birthday, lots of fun on site activities
• Inhouse learning and development programmes and courses, flu vaccinations, and social network groups (we call them Tribes).

Experience awesome. Achieve awesome. Be awesomely you.

We’re proud to have a focus on Diversity & Inclusion here at Foodies and welcome courageous behaviour, encourage togetherness, inspire our people to be their best selves in our Foodies whānau.

We encourage you to apply with all your awesomeness and welcome your diverse background, including any disability, additional health and mental health needs, and/or neurodiversity.

If you require accessibility support to ensure you can fairly access our recruitment process, please reach out to [e-mail]. Accessibility support could include interview location, sign language interpreter, assistive technology.