Category Development Lead

The Category Development Lead is responsible for driving category growth and commercial performance through the development of shopper-centric strategies, category management initiatives, and data-driven business recommendations. The role leverages consumer, shopper, customer, and market insights to identify growth opportunities, strengthen retail execution, and enhance customer partnerships. This position serves as a key link between Marketing, Sales, Trade Marketing, and Commercial teams to ensure category strategies are translated into actionable business results.

Key Responsibilities:

Category Strategy & Growth Management

• Develop and implement category growth strategies based on consumer trends, shopper behavior, market dynamics, and channel opportunities.
• Lead category assessments and identify opportunities to improve assortment, pricing, merchandising, promotions, and distribution.
• Develop category plans that support both business objectives and customer growth strategies.
• Create compelling category recommendations supported by market intelligence and business insights.

Shopper Insights & Analytics

• Gather, analyze, and interpret consumer, shopper, customer, and retail data to identify actionable growth opportunities.
• Monitor market performance, competitor activities, and shopper trends to support strategic decision-making.
• Translate insights into practical recommendations that improve shopper engagement and category performance.
• Develop shopper segmentation and behavioral analyses to strengthen commercial strategies.

Trade & Shopper Marketing

• Lead the development of annual shopper marketing and category activation plans.
• Design and implement in-store programs, merchandising initiatives, retail activations, promotions, and shopper engagement campaigns.
• Ensure marketing initiatives are tailored to the needs of different channels and customer segments.
• Support the development of customer-facing selling stories and category presentations.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Establish key performance indicators to evaluate category and shopper marketing initiatives.
• Conduct post-activity evaluations and identify opportunities for optimization and continuous improvement.
• Prepare business reviews, category scorecards, and performance reports for management and commercial teams.
• Track effectiveness of promotions, activations, and category-building programs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Brand Marketing, Sales, Commercial, Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance teams.
• Support customer business planning through category insights and growth recommendations.
• Facilitate business reviews and planning sessions with key stakeholders.
• Ensure alignment between brand strategies, customer objectives, and shopper needs.

Capability Building & Process Improvement

• Champion category management and shopper-centric best practices across the organization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to category planning, reporting, and retail execution.
• Promote the use of analytics and market intelligence to improve commercial decision-making.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Economics, Management, Statistics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Category Development, Shopper Marketing, Trade Marketing, Commercial Planning, Customer Marketing, or related functions.
• Strong understanding of category management principles, shopper behavior, retail execution, and channel development.
• Experience working with market data, retail audit information, sales analytics, and consumer research.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, project management, and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and translate insights into business-building recommendations.
• Experience within FMCG, beverage, food manufacturing, consumer goods, or related industries is highly preferred.