Ireland Foods Category Strategy Exec

The Category Development Manager will play a critical role in unlocking our category growth strategy in Ireland.  Their category and insights expertise will be pivotal to further strengthening our customer relationships and to the delivery of insight led growth for both Unilever and our Customers.  This role involves strategic planning, market analysis and agency/vendor management and will work at the centre of the Ireland Foods team.

JOB SUMMARY

The Category and Insights manager is responsible for

Delivering data and insight that informs action

• Delivers monthly category performance and insights reports, providing actionable insights that can help to grow Customer / Unilever categories

• Works closely with sales team to ensure promotional activity is market making, bring clarity to promotional impacts, under and over performance and leads with suggestions to improve performance

• Brings the “outside in”, with a focus on competitor analysis and insight

• Building strong working relationships with retailer commercial, category and insights teams.  Engages with these teams on a regular basis, leading performance reviews and sharing insights

Ensuring Ireland Foods team have access to high quality data and insight

• Manages relationships with local data and insights providers, ensuring strong working relationships are developed and that contract scopes are fully delivered

• Supporting the upskilling of others – internally and externally – providing training, reporting and support to ensure solid understanding of our categories

• Actively seeks to develop strong connections with UK and European colleagues, ensuring Ireland team have access to all relevant sources of insight

Leading range reviews with Customers

• Develops a clear category vision for priority customers, taking a wider view on macro category trends which could positively or negatively impact Unilever and our Customers.  Brings visibility to the Foods team on what is required to unlock this vision

• Works closely with Strategy & Planning and Marketing leads to develop an annual ranging plan, reflective of the business ambition on new product launches, ranging and shelf space gains and brings visibility to timings and process to the Foods team

• Ensures alignment of the ranging plan within sales plans and Customer joint business plans.

• Leads the range review process with relevant Customer stakeholders and 3rd party agencies, including space planning support

• Updates Foods team on range review progress and actively seeks support from internal stakeholders to overcome any ranging challenges

• Monitors distribution of products and highlighting gaps vs expectations

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Strong communication skills are required to express analytics to various levels in the organization; as well as, the ability to deliver presentations and training

• In-depth knowledge of the consumer goods industry including class of trade, customer groups, category, competitive products, competitive strategies and industry trends

• Must be able to effectively interact with peers, sales management and senior management

• Works effectively in a team environment and actively seeks connection with others

• Familiar with planning software, such as Spaceman

• Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel

• Excellent analytical skills are needed not only to evaluate, but to provide useful, actionable tools that are clear, meaningful, and delivered in a timely manner

• Strong project management and planning competencies

• Innovative, solution-oriented mindset with problem solving and strategic thinking skills

• Self-motivated and able to work independently