Job Description
You’ve nailed the fundamentals. You know how to build a compelling story from data, shape range and promotion plans, and influence key retail partners. You’ve sat across the table with buyers, challenged assumptions, backed your insight, and delivered results. Now you’re looking for more.A bigger remit.
More ownership.
A chance to step up.
This role Category Manager is the step you’re looking for, perfect for those who’ve got one eye on a senior role.
Take charge of one of the UK’s most iconic food categories, working on a brand that shoppers recognise instantly.
The role is about shaping the moments that matter. Like when a time-pressed shopper walks into store, heads straight to your product, and finds exactly what they’re looking for, right where it should be. That moment doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of smart thinking on range, layout, pricing and promotions. Someone saw the opportunity, read the data, and made the right call.That someone could be you.
You’ll get under the skin of the shopper. Spot gaps in the market. Influence what comes off shelf and ,more importantly, what lands next.
You’ll shape merchandising strategy, trial new layouts, manage store tests, and feed into retail rollouts so that what happens in store reflects real shopper behaviour, not assumptions. You’ve walked shop floors. You’ve seen what works and you’ll use that instinct to make a difference.
Take full ownership of promotional planning recommending mechanics, tracking effectiveness, and learning from the results.
You’ll dive deep into shopper insight too - using tools like Dunnhumby, Retail Link, retailer EPOS and Kantar to understand what’s going on in the category and why. Turn that insight into a story people act on - whether they’re in sales, marketing, or at the retailer end.
This role will connect you with every part of the business. Learn to collaborate closely with teams across sales, supply chain, brand, and NPD. It’s a proper seat at the table and a chance to see how a major FMCG player works at every level.
To thrive here, you’ll already have strong FMCG category experience and you’ll have worked directly with major UK retailers. You’ll understand what drives great category performance - from tail management and range reviews to segmentation and shopper behaviour. Most importantly, you’ll be commercially sharp and know how to balance growth with margin and cost.
The role is hybrid, mostly home-based with regular customer visits and some time at the East Midlands site, so being within a sensible distance would be helpful.
If you’re ready to take the lead on a major category and want a role that blends commercial impact with real strategic influence… this could be the one.