At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Trade Marketing for Spreads, Bakery, and Biscuits, shaping market-winning strategies.
- Company: Join Ferrero, a global leader in sweet-packaged foods with iconic brands.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, career development, and a supportive work culture.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values innovation and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while driving category growth.
- Qualifications: Experience in category or trade marketing within FMCG, strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
About the Role: At Ferrero, we are committed to winning in market through strong category leadership, insight, and execution excellence. As a Category Development Controller - Spreads, Bakery, Biscuits, you will be the key Trade Marketing lead for your assigned categories, responsible for shaping and delivering market-winning category strategies across multiple channels. Reporting to the Head of Category Development, you will lead the development of bottom-up category plans, translating brand strategy into actionable, commercially driven plans across modern trade, traditional channels, OOH, and eCommerce. You will define the role each customer and channel plays within the category, ensuring plans are clearly communicated and effectively executed by Sales teams. This is a highly visible leadership role, requiring strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders to drive sustainable category growth and market share.
Main Responsibilities: You will be accountable for the development and delivery of Trade Marketing category plans, ensuring full alignment with brand strategy and wider business objectives. This includes identifying growth opportunities, defining listing strategies, shaping activation guidelines, and building clear channel and customer roles within the category. You will lead category and customer performance analysis, using internal and external data sources to identify key drivers, risks, and opportunities. You will translate complex data into compelling insights and recommendations, supporting strategic decisions and ensuring clear communication across the business. Working closely with Sales teams, you will play a key role in customer planning and negotiations, ensuring category strategies are effectively translated into customer plans. You will oversee the customer offer process, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with business priorities, while also tracking execution and performance in-store. You will take ownership of category leadership, developing and embedding multi-channel 'winning plans', including defining the role of packs, creating 'Picture of Success' guidelines, and delivering category growth stories to both internal and external stakeholders. You will ensure strong execution through planograms, assortment strategies, and merchandising principles, driving consistency and impact across channels. You will also lead price and promotional strategy at category level, working closely with Revenue Growth Management to translate pricing frameworks and promotional strategies into actionable plans. You will evaluate performance, optimise plans, and ensure delivery of revenue, margin, and market share objectives. As a people leader, you will manage, coach, and develop your team, fostering a high-performance culture aligned with Ferrero values. You will support capability development, empower individuals, and ensure strong collaboration across functions.
About You: You are an experienced and commercially driven category or trade marketing leader, with a strong track record of delivering growth within a complex FMCG environment. You bring deep expertise in category strategy, shopper insight, and customer engagement, with the ability to translate data into compelling, actionable plans. You are confident influencing at senior levels, working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and external partners to drive alignment and execution. Your strategic mindset allows you to anticipate market trends, define clear category roles, and build plans that deliver both short-term performance and long-term value. You are a strong people leader, with experience managing and developing teams, and a passion for building capability and driving high performance. You combine attention to detail with a big-picture mindset and are comfortable operating in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Our Benefits & Perks: Careers with caring built in - discover our benefits here.
About Ferrero: Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world's largest sweet-packaged food companies, with many iconic brands sold in countries all over the world.
DE&I at Ferrero: Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative, and highly rewarding.
Category Development Controller - Spreads, Bakery, Biscuits in Greenford employer: Ferrero
Ferrero is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee growth and development within a dynamic and inclusive work culture. As a Category Development Controller, you will benefit from a supportive environment that fosters collaboration and innovation, while also enjoying competitive perks and a commitment to diversity. With a strong focus on career progression and the opportunity to lead impactful category strategies, Ferrero offers a rewarding experience for those looking to make a meaningful contribution in the FMCG sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Category Development Controller - Spreads, Bakery, Biscuits in Greenford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its products. Understand their market strategies and be ready to discuss how your skills can help them achieve their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be clear about your experience and how it aligns with the role of Category Development Controller. Highlight your commercial acumen and strategic thinking to impress those interviewers.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Category Development Controller - Spreads, Bakery, Biscuits in Greenford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Category Development Controller role. Highlight your experience in category strategy and trade marketing, and show how your skills align with Ferrero's goals.
Showcase Your Data Skills:Since this role involves translating complex data into actionable insights, be sure to include examples of how you've used data analysis in previous roles. We want to see your ability to drive decisions based on solid evidence!
Demonstrate Leadership Experience:As a people leader, it's crucial to showcase your experience in managing and developing teams. Share specific examples of how you've fostered high-performance cultures and empowered individuals in your past roles.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows us you're keen on joining the Ferrero family!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ferrero
✨Know Your Categories Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the Spreads, Bakery, and Biscuits categories. Understand current market trends, key competitors, and consumer behaviours. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your commercial acumen and strategic thinking during discussions.
✨Prepare Data-Driven Insights
Since the role involves translating complex data into actionable plans, come prepared with examples of how you've used data in past roles. Think about specific metrics or insights that led to successful category strategies and be ready to share these stories.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a people leader, it's crucial to convey your approach to managing and developing teams. Be ready to discuss how you've fostered high-performance cultures in previous positions and how you plan to empower your team at Ferrero.
✨Practice Cross-Functional Collaboration
This role requires working closely with various departments. Prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced stakeholders across functions like Sales, Marketing, and Finance. Highlight your ability to drive alignment and execution through collaboration.
