Category Manager

As Category Manager you will be responsible for building, developing, and managing relationships with key customers, supporting them on key pieces of analytics e.g. range reviews, pricing and promotional strategies etc.  You will also implement the Category Vision that supports the deliverance of the Yeo Valley strategic plan within key categories and customers’ accounts.

Your responsibilities:

Using category data and category/shopper insights to create deliverable plans and strategies that drives category growth that’s mutually beneficial to our customers and the business

As a Category Manager you will be a strong advocate of the Yeo Valley strategic plan, actively contributing to the creation and delivery of the applicable strategic priorities across the business

• Leading the category development agenda by analysing and interpreting trends from Category and shopper data
• Managing, maintaining, and developing category partnerships across key retailers including Tesco, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer’s, Sainsburys and Asda
• Leading on analysis and insights on key strategic projects with customers to influence range reviews and pricing and promotional strategies
• Supporting with building the Category Vision to demonstrate areas of category opportunity and growth internally
  • Full rollout and responsibility of Category Vision with some customers and supporting externally with others
• Supporting wider business projects and leading on projects within the Project Boards as dictated by Yeo Valley strategic priorities
• Communicating effectively and landing with customers and colleagues the implementation of category initiatives and provide category insights for account plans, brand plans and channel plans
• Seeking opportunities to enhance and enrich the company’s performance and lead with key recommendations with key customers demonstrating a proactive approach and turning insights into actions
• Providing critical market information reports including new product development (NPD) analysis and market data reports
• Leading the ambition for Yeo Valley to be viewed as Category experts with key strategic customers in yogurts
• Regular store visits and category benchmarking
• Influencing and driving strategic growth in the own label and brand NPD process with relevant category insights in order identify growth opportunities and land effectively with customers
• Identifying and communicating competitor launches with key recommendations and action plans to follow internally and externally
• Producing and managing regular monthly reports on market data to highlight category dynamics and relevant insights

• Previous experience in a Category, Commercial or Marketing Manager role in the FMCG industry with significant experience in support and building relationships with retail partners
• Highly skilled in relationship management
• Confident communicator
• Great influencing skills
• Strong presentation skills
• Analytical skills
• Proficiency and experience with market data i.e. IRI /Nielsen / Kantar / Dunnhumby / Self-Serve

We’re independent, British and proud to be making the highest quality yogurts, desserts and ice cream under the Yeo Valley brand and for many of the UK’s major retailers. Operating from four dairies and two logistics centres in Somerset and Devon, we employ over 1700 staff and produce more than 25% of the UK’s packaged yogurt.

We’re sure you don’t need convincing, but there’s a whole host of benefits that we offer including:

• 25 days holiday allowance
• non-contributory pension scheme
• life cover
• healthcare cash back plan
• cycle to work scheme
• subsidised Yeo Valley products and services
• preferential rates with our partners
• annual bonus (as part of the Employee Benefit Trust, based on company performance for the year)
• learning and development opportunities; we’re committed to ensuring all of our employees have the chance to grow

Our closing dates are a guide for when the application window should close, although we may close the advert sooner if we can. So, we recommend you get your application in straight away – and don’t miss the opportunity to join us!

Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide employment sponsorship to candidates at this moment in time.

Please note that Yeo Valley do not accept speculative agency applications; we will only accept applications from preferred suppliers that have been submitted to us via our recruitment portal at the point of instruction.