Category Manager - FTC

We are working with a leading FMCG business to recruit a Category Manager to join their UK commercial team. This role will take ownership of category development across major UK retailers, driving insight-led customer strategies, promotional effectiveness and best-in-class shopper execution.

The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping channel and retailer plans, working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing and Shopper Marketing to deliver commercial growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver category and shopper insights to identify growth drivers
• Partner with Sales teams to build customer strategies, tactics and trade plans
• Ensure customer plans align with brand, category and retailer strategies
• Own day-to-day management and analysis of syndicated data (IRI & Kantar)
• Deliver continuous and ad-hoc analysis to support commercial decision-making
• Build compelling customer presentations for range reviews, including product, space and merchandising recommendations
• Lead category management plans across UK retailers
• Support best-in-class shopper marketing execution and post-activity reviews
• Manage pre- and post-promotion analysis to evaluate ROI and effectiveness, sharing learnings with commercial teams

Additional Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate and relevant IRI & Kantar databases and tools
• Attend sales, marketing and customer meetings
• Lead customer marketing discussions with top-tier retail accounts
• Support the development and embedding of category management principles across the business
• Help raise the internal and external profile of the Category Management function

Key Relationships

• Cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Marketing and Shopper Marketing
• Build strong relationships with:
• UK retail customers (commercial and operational teams)
• Data and insight partners

Skills & Attributes

• Highly analytical and numerate, comfortable working with granular data
• Strong PowerPoint and presentation skills
• Proven experience in Category Management and Shopper Insight
• Ability to translate insight into creative, actionable retail solutions
• Confident communicator with strong interpersonal skills
• Driven, ambitious and keen to develop within a growing business
• Collaborative team player

Experience & Education

• Degree educated
• Solid hands-on experience with IRI and Kantar data
• Strong understanding of the UK retail landscape
• Experience working with major UK multiples and health & beauty retailers (e.g. Boots, Superdrug)
• People management experience beneficial but not essential