Category Sales Manager-Hero Türkiye

Hero; Fatih; On-site; TRY 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Hero, a leading FMCG company, seeks a seasoned Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies and annual business plans in Türkiye. You will own sales, profitability, and trade investments while coordinating with sales, planning and supply chain to translate insights into action.

This role requires a strong track record in modern trade, cross-functional leadership, and up-to-date market knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in category management, key account management, distributor management or sales within FMCG or a comparable consumer-focused environment.
• Solid knowledge of modern trade sales, including customer planning, commercial negotiations, promotional management and retail execution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage category performance, commercial budgets and cross-functional business plans.
• Strong analytical capability and confidence in turning data into clear commercial recommendations.
• Advanced communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with a collaborative stakeholder-management approach.
• Good command of written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead category strategies and annual business plans aligned with the company’s growth, profitability and market-share ambitions.
• Own category sales, distribution, profitability and trade investment targets, converting strategic priorities into clear commercial action plans.
• Lead customer and channel planning, with particular focus on modern/traditional trade dynamics, joint business planning, negotiations and in-store execution.
• Build productive relationships with key customers, distributors, sales partners and relevant external stakeholders; lead commercial discussions and alignment.
• Prepare annual sales forecasts, trade-spend budgets and activity calendars, and ensure disciplined execution within approved budgets.
• Monitor daily, monthly and period performance; identify gaps, risks and opportunities and initiate timely corrective actions with Sales and field teams.
• Use consumer, shopper, customer and market insights to identify growth opportunities and strengthen assortment, pricing, promotion and distribution decisions.
• Partner with Business Development, Marketing and Finance on pricing architecture, recommended retail prices, promotional mechanics and profitability scenarios.
• Coordinate monthly and quarterly demand forecasts with Sales, Planning and Supply Chain, ensuring category assumptions are translated into reliable inputs.
• Track in-store availability, assortment, shelf and planogram compliance, displays and promotional execution; translate field observations into practical actions.
• Evaluate activity effectiveness and commercial return, and provide clear performance updates and recommendations to senior management.
• Conduct regular customer, market and regional visits across Türkiye to stay close to execution, emerging trends and competitive developments.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Communication

English proficiency

Excel

PowerPoint

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Sales data platforms

Job description

• Develop and lead category strategies and annual business plans aligned with the company’s growth, profitability and market-share ambitions.
• Own category sales, distribution, profitability and trade investment targets, converting strategic priorities into clear commercial action plans.
• Lead customer and channel planning, with particular focus on modern/traditional trade dynamics, joint business planning, negotiations and in-store execution.
• Build productive relationships with key customers, distributors, sales partners and relevant external stakeholders; lead commercial discussions and alignment.
• Prepare annual sales forecasts, trade-spend budgets and activity calendars, and ensure disciplined execution within approved budgets.
• Monitor daily, monthly and period performance; identify gaps, risks and opportunities and initiate timely corrective actions with Sales and field teams.
• Use consumer, shopper, customer and market insights to identify growth opportunities and strengthen assortment, pricing, promotion and distribution decisions.
• Partner with Business Development, Marketing and Finance on pricing architecture, recommended retail prices, promotional mechanics and profitability scenarios.
• Coordinate monthly and quarterly demand forecasts with Sales, Planning and Supply Chain, ensuring category assumptions are translated into reliable inputs.
• Track in-store availability, assortment, shelf and planogram compliance, displays and promotional execution; translate field observations into practical actions.
• Evaluate activity effectiveness and commercial return, and provide clear performance updates and recommendations to senior management.
• Conduct regular customer, market and regional visits across Türkiye to stay close to execution, emerging trends and competitive developments.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead category strategies and annual business plans aligned with the company’s growth, profitability and market-share ambitions.
• Own category sales, distribution, profitability and trade investment targets, converting strategic priorities into clear commercial action plans.
• Lead customer and channel planning, with particular focus on modern/traditional trade dynamics, joint business planning, negotiations and in-store execution.
• Build productive relationships with key customers, distributors, sales partners and relevant external stakeholders; lead commercial discussions and alignment.
• Prepare annual sales forecasts, trade-spend budgets and activity calendars, and ensure disciplined execution within approved budgets.
• Monitor daily, monthly and period performance; identify gaps, risks and opportunities and initiate timely corrective actions with Sales and field teams.
• Use consumer, shopper, customer and market insights to identify growth opportunities and strengthen assortment, pricing, promotion and distribution decisions.
• Partner with Business Development, Marketing and Finance on pricing architecture, recommended retail prices, promotional mechanics and profitability scenarios.
• Coordinate monthly and quarterly demand forecasts with Sales, Planning and Supply Chain, ensuring category assumptions are translated into reliable inputs.
• Track in-store availability, assortment, shelf and planogram compliance, displays and promotional execution; translate field observations into practical actions.
• Evaluate activity effectiveness and commercial return, and provide clear performance updates and recommendations to senior management.
• Conduct regular customer, market and regional visits across Türkiye to stay close to execution, emerging trends and competitive developments.

What We Are Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in category management, key account management, distributor management or sales within FMCG or a comparable consumer-focused environment.
• Solid knowledge of modern trade sales, including customer planning, commercial negotiations, promotional management and retail execution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage category performance, commercial budgets and cross-functional business plans.
• Strong analytical capability and confidence in turning data into clear commercial recommendations.
• Advanced communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with a collaborative stakeholder-management approach.
• Good command of written and spoken English.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with sales, market or shopper data platforms is an advantage.
• Valid driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across Türkiye.

Success in This Role

• Profitable and sustainable category growth across relevant channels and customers.
• High-quality commercial plans supported by clear insights, disciplined budgets and reliable forecasts.
• Strong execution in modern trade and consistently effective collaboration across functions.
• Fast, fact-based decisions that convert market opportunities into measurable business outcomes.

Why Join Us?

You will have the opportunity to influence category direction, work across the full commercial value chain and contribute directly to sustainable business growth in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

[Company-specific benefits, location details and application link can be added before publication.]

Our Culture: How We Grow Together

• Create wow: We dare to do things differently, seek to always win with consumers and customers, and endeavor to be forever relevant and vital to our world. It’s about Curiosity, Innovation and Consumer/Customer Focus.
• Everyone Hero: We work together in pursuit of our common mission and strategy, strengthening our local businesses by leveraging the power of the collective. It’s about Purpose, Performance and Teamwork.
• Nourish others: We treat everyone with honesty, care and respect and provide our people, customers and consumers with what they need to thrive. It’s about Honesty, Empowerment, Respect and Diversity.
• Take responsibility: We make good choices today to build a more sustainable business and environment fit for the needs of tomorrow. It’s about Sustainability, Ownership, Heritage and Quality.