Category Manager

Category Manager
Wiltshire
Up to 60,000

At The Collective Network, we are partnering with a leading business in the commercial food sector to find a skilled Category Manager. This is a pivotal role that bridges the gap between internal teams and retail partners, working across both branded and own-label products.

As a Category Manager, your primary focus will be driving sales, profit, and market share for both our client and their customers. You will play a key role in implementing strategic initiatives informed by financial data, category analysis, and consumer insights. This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with retail partners, strengthening relationships and ensuring mutual success.

• Serve as the primary category lead for key strategic customers, developing tailored strategies and actionable insights.
• Manage own-brand innovation ranges and identify customer-specific opportunities.
• Act as a champion for consumer needs, ensuring shopper behaviours and preferences shape category development and decision-making.
• Utilise financial, category, and consumer data to create compelling, insight-led recommendations for range reviews, promotions, and innovation.
• Collaborate internally across sales, marketing, and supply chain teams to ensure seamless execution of strategies.
• Strengthen and evolve partnerships with strategic customers, positioning the business as a trusted advisor and thought leader.
• Track category performance metrics, providing regular updates and actionable insights to both internal stakeholders and customers.
• Maximise ROI and deliver KPIs for site-based business teams.
• Drive best-in-class ways of working within the commercial team.

• A proactive individual with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• A proven track record of building strong partnerships with retail customers.
• A strong understanding of financial metrics and market dynamics to ensure profitability and alignment with customer goals.
• Excellent organisational, presentation, and project management skills.
• Strong stakeholder management abilities.

Essential:

• Degree or equivalent in Business or Marketing.
• Experience analysing and leveraging data to drive effective recommendations and action.
• Proven success in implementing category initiatives with retailers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.

Preferred:

• Minimum of 3 years' experience in Category Management.
• Experience using Kantar MyWorld Panel, Dunnhumby, Nectar 360 (Sainsbury's Insight Platform), Assosia, and Vypr.
• Experience working on own-label products.

This role requires a keen eye for data-driven decision-making, an ability to develop strong relationships with retail partners, and a passion for delivering commercial success.
At The Collective Network, we specialise in connecting talented professionals with the right opportunities. If you're ready to take on a role that offers both strategic impact and career progression, apply today!