Commercial Manager - Taste Elevation

Fixed-term contract: 12 Months

The position sits within the UK&I business unit and the category function. You’ll be working in a high performing, ambitious team – alongside peers always striving to deliver the best for consumers, the brand, and the business – reporting into the Commercial Category Controller. It’s a role for someone who wants the opportunity to make their mark in a transforming business, who wants to be accountable for delivering the plans in collaboration with the wider team. The Commercial Category Manager is responsible for creation and execution of the commercial strategy across retail accounts - ensuring profitable delivery of the budget while delivering to retailer needs.

What you’ll do Profitable Delivery of the AOP through sales: As part of the Commercial Category team ensure delivery of the current year plan through key forums, including:

• Ownership of commercial category inputs into pre-demand meeting ahead of demand review and sign off

• Management of category risks and opportunities - ensuring up to date, evaluated and aligned with category strategy ahead of Category performance reviews. Manage and track subsequent implementation.

• Coordination of monthly NAM meetings to ensure engagement and communication of category strategy and assumptions

• Management of weekly volume calls to understand in month performance drivers and work with sales teams to evaluate options to address

Delivery of the bottom-up operating plan: Work with the sales teams on the category bottom-up planning process from customer segmentation and customer surgeries through to signing off plans compatible with the business strategy and AOP.

• Leadership of promotional activation through customers and channels. Ensure compliance with promotional guidelines issued from the category and working in partnership with sales recommend changes where improvement could be made to deliver business unit KPI’s

Delivery of Commercial Effectiveness Plans: Lead delivery of the CE agenda - recommendations on promotional strategy and guidelines for the category, detailed ongoing evaluation of impact on category and commercial metrics to ensure continuous improvement.

Convert Brand & Category Opportunities into selling stories: Working closely with Marketing and Category Development, build the commercial plan for NPD – assumptions on cost price, margin and distribution targets by customer and channel and engage the sales teams in executional delivery of the plan.

• Set out external customer rationale for promotional strategies based on insight

Inspire and engage others: Engage and inspire category NAMs and wider Category & Customer teams in delivery of all elements of the plan.

• Contributor to the direction of the over-all Commercial Category Planning and broader sales team function.

What you’ll need

• Experience in a FMCG commercial environment preferred

• A highly numerate and strategic thinker with the ability to analyse market, category and financial data to identify key trends and recommend creative solutions

• Proven track record of problem solving as an owner, taking on entrepreneurial challenges and simplifying the complex

• Strong Project Management skillset; ability to demonstrate strong influencing and stakeholder development skills

• Effective analytical, presentation, and communication skills

• Highly organised with good planning skills and the ability to manage cross functional category projects both within and outside of the company.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

What we offer you

• An ambitious employer; we only want to the best for our people!

• Trainings and coaching to help develop your skills and behaviours

• A career track like only few other companies can match

• Flexible and hybrid working approach (3 from the office or with customers / 2 from home)

• Family-friendly and inclusive work environment

• Competitive benefits package to support mental, physical, financial and social well-being

• A competitive salary and excellent bonus structure (above market)

• Always room for new ideas; if you have a good idea, please let us know, and we can set it in action!