Category Executive - Pet Food

Overview

The Role

We are currently looking for a Category Executive to join the Sales team on a permanent basis. This role can be based out of our Thirsk HO in North Yorkshire or our Crick office in Northampton.

The purpose of the Category Executive is to support both the operational and customer-facing aspects of the Category function. Approximately 50% of the role is focused on managing data, reporting, and internal tools to enable effective, insight-driven decision-making across the team. The remaining 50% involves direct responsibility for customer-facing category management within allocated retail accounts—supporting the delivery of insight, planning, and execution of category initiatives that drive growth for both IPN and its customers.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain internal data sources and coding structures to ensure consistency and data integrity.
• Deliver weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting to support business and customer needs.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and tools aligned to business and customer requirements.
• Analyze data from sources such as Nielsen, Dunn Humby and SIP to generate actionable insight.
• Hold direct responsibility for category insight and reporting to specified retail customers.
• Support the execution of customer-specific category plans, including range reviews and performance updates.
• Align internal reporting delivery to key external and internal planning milestones.
• Collaborate with Sales, Brand, and Commercial Ops teams to ensure aligned data outputs.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of reporting.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant commercial, analytical or data-focused role
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including handling of large datasets, pivot tables, formulas, and lookups
• Comfortable working with and interpreting numerical data from multiple sources
• Experience using large or complex datasets, ideally within an FMCG environment or in a similar data-rich sector
• 1 to 3 years’ experience in a commercial, category, reporting, or analytical role
• Familiarity with market data tools (e.g. Nielsen, IRI, Kantar, retailer EPOS) is an advantage but not essential
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain data and insights in a simple, structured way
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage recurring reporting tasks alongside ad hoc requests
• Collaborative and team-oriented, with a willingness to support others and take ownership of key tasks

The Offer

• Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire (hybrid)
• Salary: Competitive
• 10% annual company bonus scheme
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday
• Pension: Employee contributions 3% / Employer contribution 8% (salary sacrifice company pension scheme)
• Holidays: 25 days + Bank Holidays
• Medicash Plan
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/pawternity
• Other Benefits: Free parking, tasty treats, bring your dog to work
• Choice of a series of non-contractual flexible benefits, including cycle to work, workplace nurseries and dental insurance. These are offered through salary sacrifice or pay deductions.
• Ability to purchase heavily discounted pet food.

Company

IPN is an innovative, well-established, and award-winning pet food manufacturer, employing over 850 people across our 4 UK manufacturing sites. Our family of brands include Harringtons, Wagg, Barking Heads & Meowing Heads, AATU, Blink, Butchers, Classic Cat and a selection of partner brands that trust us to produce food on their behalf. Our kitchens in Thirsk, Kinmel and Crick produce dry, wet, and baked foods which are enjoyed by dogs and cats all over the world.