12 Month Fixed Term Contract
Are you a commercial, strategic category leader who can galvanise a team to unlock growth across dairy and influence cross-functional stakeholders to deliver at pace?
You’ll set where to play and how to win—turning market, shopper and customer insights into category strategies and execution playbooks that grow total dairy and our brands.
How You Will Make an Impact
Reporting to the Customer Development Director and working closely with Marketing, you will lead a team that develops, embeds and delivers category strategies, execution playbooks and shorter-term tactics to Customer Category and Sales teams—driving growth for total dairy and our brands and feeding insight into our innovation pipeline. You will also lead our data strategy, and the team that develops and delivers our market data systems and tools. You will be a results-focused networker and influencer who enables the team to deliver by working smarter, not harder.
- Collaborate with Marketing to develop and evolve long-term category strategies across dairy categories aligned to growth plans and platforms
- Define where to play/how to win by category and channel and embed this across the business
- Lead category retail execution plans (4P), delivering toolkits tailored by retailer-facing Customer Category Managers
- Set distribution, share of shelf and market share targets; deliver core range recommendations and identify opportunities/risks, and drive team involvement through the innovation process (concept to post-implementation review), ensure data/insight-led decisions, manage market data contracts/agency relationships and evolve data reporting and ingestion processes with cross-functional partners
- Drive evolution of the data strategy and UK data governance process, and lead the data team to deliver and evolve data delivery solutions that make increasing use of technology including AI, meet business needs, and continue to democratise data usage across the business.
You will lead a diverse team of six (Senior Professional through Lead Category Development Manager), building a high-performing, ambitious group that delivers exceptional results.
What Will Make You Successful
You will lead change, creating your own direction and inspiring cross-functional commitment while thinking strategically to connect data and insights and convert them into actionable plans.
You will be results-driven with extensive commercial experience and deep understanding of customer and organisational needs, coaching and upskilling a high-performing team to exceed expectations.
You will switch seamlessly between strategy and execution, build relationships quickly at all levels, and influence with an execution focus grounded in retailer needs. Obsessive about category and shopper, you will cultivate industry connections and curiosity for evolving behaviour, and bring a high-performance, growth mindset - open to continuous improvement, learning and supporting functional delivery.
We work closely together and promise you a steep learning curve, meaningful responsibility and colleagues around you to cheer, support and challenge you every day.
What Do We Offer?
We’re committed to supporting your growth and development, offering internal and external training opportunities. You’ll enjoy a competitive salary, 26 days of holiday plus Bank Holidays, matched pension contributions up to 6%, life assurance, and bonus scheme, BUPA Healthcare, and flexible benefits.
At Arla Foods, our Lead, Sense, Create values thrive on diversity and inclusion. We’re a farmer-owned co‑operative - open minded, curious and learning from each other. Diverse perspectives fuel innovation, helping us lead dairy into a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Would You Like to Join Us?
If you are excited to shape the future of dairy, please apply as soon as possible. Applications close on 7th August 2026 and we will review on an ongoing basis.
For questions, contact Talent Partner Oliver Hickson‑Burr at olibu@arlafoods.com.
Please note: We are not partnered with any recruitment agencies for this role. Speculative agency CVs will not be recognised under agency ownership and, if progressed, will not constitute acceptance of agency terms. Please apply directly via our official channels.
Shape the Future of Dairy
Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with natural, sustainable nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.
#LI-OLIBU
Ref.: 109789
Senior Category Development Manager, Arla - Leeds employer: Arla
Arla Lockerbie is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and supportive work environment, where continuous improvement and operational excellence are at the forefront. Employees benefit from opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and the chance to make a meaningful impact in a fast-paced manufacturing setting. With a commitment to sustainability and a culture that values every team member, Arla is dedicated to helping you thrive in your career while shaping the future of dairy.
