Category Manager

Job Description

Take responsibility for / support the category management of nominated customer(s); to support category process in line with the Sofina & Customer strategic objectives to deliver category growthYoungs Seafood Limited is the UKs leading fish and seafood business, inspiring consumers to love fish through our fresh, frozen, own-label and branded products. Proudly making delicious fish dishes for over 200 years, were home to the Youngs brand -famous today for making family favourites such as Chip Shop and the UKs number 1 premium seafood brand, Gastro.Were a leading supplier of seafood to the hospitality industry offering an extensive portfolio of products through our Youngs Foodservice and Kingfrost brands. Proudly British, Youngs International offers our exceptional quality frozen fish and stand outinnovation to countries around the world.Build relationships with key buying / category / range contacts, that makes Sofina the most trusted supplier in the categorySupport development of a category, innovation & brand cycle which works 12 months from the customers planning processes, helping them to drive the long term growth of the categoryHave a robust view on sector, category & consumer trends and can identify future opportunities and gapsBring together shopper insights, market & retailer data to best understand & present the market & the consumer dynamicsLead category reviews, identify issues & develop recommendations to drive growth for Sofina & our customers in line with strategies & objectivesMonitor outcomes through category analysis and make recommendations to correct if / when necessaryDeliver agreed reporting schedule to retailer ensuring that range review recommendations, range change reviews and NPD performance tracking is all delivered in a timely manner that fits to retailer planning horizonsWork with the Marketing teams to create compelling category stories for branded innovation / listingsWork with the NPD teams providing consumer / market insights to support the category and customer innovation processesEnsure that the Commercial teams are appraised of all analysis to deliver a consistent message to our customers, highlighting risks & opportunitiesProvide input to the commercial planning teams to aid future forecasts including innovation ROS and promotional upliftsSupport the development of shopper marketing plans / promo plans / NPD launches linking with key stakeholders throughout the processUndertake Sofina wide projects e.g. Pricing, NPD, Packaging, Promotional Analysis; Seasonal Ranging, Events as and when requiredSupports the wider category team to creating a centre of excellence, ensuring that we deliver for both our internal & external stakeholdersGood communicator, trustworthy, friendly & professionalCommercial awarenessExperienced of in working in a commercial / category environmentPreferred experience with various data delivery platforms (Kantar, IRI, Nielsen) and to be self-sufficient for the majority of day-to-day data mining & sourcing requirementsHighly analytical & able to distil large quantities of data, information & ideas into key insights & actionable recommendationsOrganisational skills; prioritisation & time managementStrong sense of team working, believes in winning as a team and creating a culture of best practiceFlexible in the approach to workloadNetworking & Building Relationships Communicating & Influencing Seeking Information Organisation & Reliability Drive & Initiative Problem Solving & Innovation Developing Capability