Category Marketing Manager

Job Description: The Category Marketing Manager is a senior-level role requiring extensive experience in the food and beverages industry. This pivotal position involves orchestrating the marketing activities of different food categories in line with company strategies to maximize sales, market share, and profitability. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in category management, including principal relationships, trade deal execution, stock maintenance, and team training coordination. They will be adept at customer mapping, conducting business reviews, developing product information packs, and proactively managing product lifecycles. Analysis of product performance, sales gap analyses, and the creation of promotional calendars are critical tasks that contribute to strategic decision-making and business growth. Additionally, the Category Marketing Manager will execute keen competitor monitoring and maintain a laser focus on customer and SKU tracking to ensure category leadership. This role demands a high caliber professional capable of driving sales optimization and fostering excellent relationships with key stakeholders.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in marketing or category management, with a strong preference for expertise within the food and beverages industry.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field; a Master's degree or an MBA would be advantageous.
• Demonstrated success in managing relationships with business principals and executing trade agreements.
• Proven ability to manage and optimize inventory levels across multiple regions and branches.
• Experience in arranging and overseeing team training sessions, including the involvement of chefs or product specialists as necessary.
• Skilled in customer mapping and penetration analysis to identify market opportunities and develop expansion strategies.
• Capacity to prepare detailed monthly business review sessions and manage subsequent follow-up actions.
• Competence in the development of comprehensive product information packs.
• Vigilance in managing product expirations with the support of internal teams and principals.
• In-depth knowledge of SKU availability management and techniques to minimize liquidation impacts due to slow-moving products.
• Proficient in performing thorough product performance analyses by channel and category, utilizing sales data.
• Expertise in the identification and execution of strategies to enhance customer reach and frequency.
• Ability to conduct ongoing market and competitor assessments to adapt and innovate marketing tactics.
• Dexterity in identifying, tracking, and analyzing top customers and SKUs for strategic insights.
• Flexibility to take on additional duties and adapt to evolving business needs as they arise.

Job Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain robust relationships with principals to achieve business objectives and implement activity plans efficiently.
• Oversee trade deal execution and monthly claims with principals, ensuring timely and budget-conforming outcomes.
• Maintain optimal stock levels within company parameters and manage weekly regional stock replenishment and transfer orders.
• Coordinate with principals for regular team training and refresher courses, engaging culinary experts when relevant.
• Execute strategic customer mapping to enhance market coverage and maximize potential within existing coverage regions.
• Lead monthly business review sessions, including the preparation of business decks and tracking of action items.
• Develop and update comprehensive product information packs for distribution to relevant internal and external parties.
• Monitor product expirations actively, coordinating with internal teams and principals to mitigate associated risks.
• Ensure consistent SKU availability across all regions and identify strategies for managing slow/non-moving products.
• Conduct detailed analysis of product performance, compare year-over-year and current year sales to targets, and monitor customer purchasing trends.
• Develop and implement a targeted activity, engagement, and promotion calendar in collaboration with principals.
• Analyze channel-based coverage for fast-moving SKUs and align them with principal and company coverage goals.
• Work closely with the sales team to expand product lines per customer and innovate sales strategies.
• Perform regular assessments of market and competitive activities to inform marketing strategies and counteract competitor movements.
• Maintain up-to-date records of top customers and SKUs to inform strategic decision-making.

Required Skills:

• Strategic thinking and analytical skills for high-level market analysis and decision-making.
• Relationship management abilities to foster productive partnerships with principals and other stakeholders.
• Proficient in inventory and stock management to ensure product availability and minimize waste.
• Effective communication and presentation skills for leading business reviews and stakeholder engagements.
• Training and development coordination skills, especially in an industry requiring constant updates and knowledge sharing.
• Expertise in customer segmentation, mapping, and penetration analysis to identify growth opportunities.
• Financial acumen to manage trade deals, monitor budgets, and optimize financial performance.
• Data-driven approach to develop and interpret sales performance and market trend analyses.
• Competency in identifying gaps in sales performance and swiftly implementing corrective actions.
• Creative skills for developing engaging product information packs and marketing materials.
• Advanced knowledge of promotion and activity planning across various marketing channels.
• Leadership skills to guide teams and collaborate across departments toward common goals.
• Problem-solving abilities to address inventory issues, manage product life cycles, and anticipate market shifts.
• Proficiency in using software tools for data analysis, inventory management, and communication.
• Adaptability to take on a versatile range of tasks and pivot to the dynamic demands of the market and organization.