Business Category Manager

Job Description

General Description

Have a strategic & driver of change mind set. Being the vital link between all internal functions to ensure that our brand plans (financially and brand strategy) become a reality in the market. At the same time, ensuring that we are driving category growth for our retailers and profitable growth for the business. All possible by being the category expert in terms of shopper, customer, brand and market dynamics.

Duties & Responsibilities

- Drive & Fuel Business intelligence with shopper and customer centric knowledge build a strategy for category growth that is aligned with our brands ambitions.

- GTM Excellence and brand performance ( ROI Focus) understanding and tracking: Provide the ‘so what’ to the business analysts work on total market, category and retailer view – understand the dynamics, risks and opps, react accordingly to ensure we have the right plans to deliver the category, brand and retailer plans aligned on.

- TRIPPLE WIN Translation of the brand strategy in to a channel strategy and priorities by Customer - where we need to accelerate/decelerate at a different rate to total brand ambition, where we need to grow space/distribution, where we need to over-trade on specific NPD, identify where we have specific brand battles in an account and how we will tackle them (all including ecom)

- Work closely with the brands to transform the ambitions and ATL plans into on-ground activity calendars in collaboration by country trade marketing exec./ category execs in KSA & commercial team - when the big moments are, suggested level of support. Ensure proper launch of NPDs , set distribution guidelines and planogram recommendations (all in close collaboration with the sales & marketing teams)

- Set the principles and guidance on the promo strategy and mechanics: depth, frequency, purpose, and suitability by key account. This is based on a combination of RGM learnings, market knowledge, and brand ambition.

- Build relevant assortments by category by channel & trade stories

- Set exclusivity and differentiation plans across the trade (counterparts, timelines etc...)Ensure plans are fully tailored to individual retailer shopper profiles and needs

- Lead category and brand development projects (most often as part of a multifunctional team)

- Competitor analysis – thorough understanding of competitor activity, bricks and clicks, in the market with resulting action plans where required

Knowledge & Experience

• Category operations background, CATMAN back ground
• Shopper & Customer marketing Centricity
• GCC Customer knowledge
• Ideally beauty experience but not essential if experience in business development overall is strong across other sectors
• At least 5 years working in the FMCG industry in the above areas

Skills & Abilities

- Ability to identify new ways of working and opportunities and Drive it.

- Strong strategic mind set ability to see the big picture

- Bias for action attitude to adopt a leadership position with all multifunctional teams – needs to be able to influence, arbitrate but also develop a mutually beneficial relationship with all parties ie they must understand the value for them of the business development team

- Ability to balance strategic planning vs. operational day to day

- Can reason from many perspectives on one given challenge – fully understanding the ambition of different stakeholders in order to find practical solutions for all parties

- Acting autonomously to become a beauty market expert on all key fronts – shopper, consumer, brand, retailer – actively staying up-to-date on latest information and innovation in their field