Retail Vendor Manager

Retail Vendor Manager

Full-Time 36000 - 60000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Drive ecommerce growth by developing innovative category strategies for top retailers.
  • Company: Join McCain, a global leader in food production with a family-oriented culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, generous pension, and flexible holidays.
  • Why this job: Be at the forefront of ecommerce innovation and make a real impact on the industry.
  • Qualifications: 3-5 years in Category Management or Ecommerce with strong analytical skills.
  • Other info: Great opportunities for career growth and a supportive, inclusive work environment.

The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.

At McCain, we are dedicated to ensuring our core values - Family, Authentic, Trusted, and Quality - shine through every day. We believe that we can work together, along with our business and community partners, to bring sustainable growth and positive change today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Your Life - we’re here to help you fulfil your potential, flourish, and thrive in work and life. Your Success - work alongside passionate individuals who are committed to supporting your career ambitions, drive, and success.

This is a pivotal specialist role at the forefront of ecommerce growth. As Category Manager - Ecommerce Retail, you will shape and execute winning category strategies across key retail ecommerce channels, driving performance with insight-led plans that unlock growth.

You’ll own the development and delivery of category plans for Tier 1 retailers and pureplay customers, while empowering broader teams to win in Tier 2 and 3 accounts through activation playbooks, training and hands-on support. Beyond today’s platforms, you’ll help future-proof the business - accelerating digital growth across emerging channels such as Quick Commerce and Aggregators, and leading commercial thinking on ecommerce technology, innovation and retail media.

As the ecommerce category expert, you’ll partner cross-functionally to ensure plans are practical, compelling and commercially impactful. This is a highly visible, execution-driven role for someone who thrives on turning insight into action and driving growth in fast-evolving digital retail environments.

Drive Ecommerce Category Leadership with Tier 1 Retailers:

  • Deliver tailored, insight-led category plans that accelerate growth with priority ecommerce retailers, working in close partnership with Sales, Marketing and Category Growth teams.
  • Influence and support Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with clear, data-driven recommendations that deliver against commercial objectives.
  • Build trusted partnerships across customer, category and digital technology teams, acting as a go-to expert for bespoke projects and customer briefs.
  • Lead test-and-learn initiatives with Tier 1 customers across evolving digital media platforms to deepen understanding of shopper journeys and improve digital media ROI.
  • Design and launch customer-centric activation toolkits and training that strengthen ecommerce category management capability across Tier 2 and 3 accounts.
  • Create structured processes, tools and reporting to enable Retail customer and category managers to confidently execute and optimise ecommerce plans.
  • Ensure all activation activity aligns to McCain’s ecommerce strategy and delivers measurable value for both customers and the business.
  • Develop and execute bespoke category strategies for pureplay and online-first retailers, leveraging agility and deep digital insight.
  • Provide best-in-class recommendations across media, assortment and execution, grounded in ecommerce analytics and shopper behaviour.
  • Identify and unlock category growth opportunities across emerging Quick Commerce and Aggregator platforms.
  • Build frameworks that guide resource prioritisation and commercial engagement in fast-moving, high-growth channels.

Lead Thinking on Ecommerce Technology and Retail Media:

  • Act as the internal authority on ecommerce innovation, including AI adoption, retail ecommerce technologies and retail media evolution.
  • Assess risks and opportunities from new tools and platforms, translating insight into clear recommendations and thought leadership for the Commercial team.

Requirements:

  • 3-5 years’ experience in Category Management, Ecommerce, Digital Trading or Data Analytics within FMCG/CPG or retail environments.
  • A proven track record of delivering category growth, with hands-on experience executing commercial and category plans across both bricks-and-mortar and digital retail channels.
  • Strong analytical capability, with confidence interpreting and applying commercial and ecommerce data from sources such as Kantar, dunnhumby, Circana (IRI/Nielsen) and relevant ecommerce data partners.
  • Clear and persuasive communicator, skilled at turning complex data and trends into compelling, actionable recommendations for diverse stakeholder audiences - both verbally and visually.
  • Highly collaborative and influential, with experience partnering across sales, marketing and category teams, and working directly with external retail and trading partners.

Being in the office every single day is a thing of the past. Here at McCain, we champion hybrid working. This means we don’t have a set expectation of exactly when you need to be in the office - however we do encourage our full-time, office-based people to connect in person with others for around half of their working time as that’s the best way for us to build and maintain our connections.

We have lots of colleagues who travel to and from our Experience Centre and because hybrid really does mean hybrid at McCain, they get the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues when they’re in the office, and balance that with working from home to ensure they get a good life-work balance.

Benefits include:

  • A generous Car Allowance
  • An achievable yearly bonus based on personal performance.
  • An excellent pension where we will pay double what you do, up to a maximum of 12% of your pay
  • Flexible holidays - where you can buy & sell up to 5 days holiday per year
  • Optional health cash plan
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • ‘Chips In’ Volunteering Day Off
  • Opportunities for relocation and career progression.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Retail Vendor Manager employer: McCain Foods (GB) Ltd

At McCain, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that champions hybrid working and prioritises employee well-being. With generous benefits such as a competitive pension scheme, flexible holidays, and opportunities for personal and professional growth, we empower our team members to thrive in their careers while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Located just outside Scarborough, our Customer Experience Centre fosters collaboration and connection, making it an ideal place for passionate individuals to contribute to meaningful change in the food industry.
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Contact Detail:

McCain Foods (GB) Ltd Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Retail Vendor Manager

✨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 culture. Understand their values and how they align with yours. This will help you show that you're not just a fit for the role, but for the team too!

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be ready to talk about your experience and how it relates to the role of Category Manager in Retail Ecommerce. Highlight your analytical skills and past successes to make a strong impression.

✨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 and engaged with our brand.

We think you need these skills to ace Retail Vendor Manager

Category Management
Ecommerce Strategy
Data Analytics
Commercial Acumen
Insight-Led Planning
Digital Media ROI
Collaboration Skills
Communication Skills
Analytical Capability
Stakeholder Engagement
Retail Technology Knowledge
Agility in Fast-Paced Environments
Training and Development
Project Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Category Manager in Retail Ecommerce. Highlight your relevant experience and skills that align with the job description, especially your analytical capabilities and category management expertise.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about ecommerce and how your background makes you the perfect fit for this role. Be sure to mention specific examples of your past successes in driving category growth.

Showcase Your Data Skills: Since this role involves a lot of data analysis, make sure to highlight your experience with tools like Kantar or dunnhumby. We want to see how you've used data to drive decisions and create impactful strategies in your previous roles.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!

How to prepare for a job interview at McCain Foods (GB) Ltd

✨Know Your Numbers

As a Category Manager in Retail Ecommerce, you'll need to be comfortable with data. Brush up on your analytical skills and be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive category growth in the past. Prepare specific examples that showcase your ability to interpret commercial and ecommerce data.

✨Understand the Brand

Familiarise yourself with McCain's core values and product offerings. Show genuine interest in their mission of feeding the world and how you can contribute to their goals. This will help you align your answers with their values during the interview.

✨Prepare for Scenario Questions

Expect questions that ask how you would handle specific situations, especially around driving growth or managing partnerships. Think of scenarios where you've successfully influenced stakeholders or executed category plans, and be ready to share those stories.

✨Show Your Collaborative Spirit

This role requires strong collaboration across various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you've worked with sales, marketing, and category teams in the past. Highlight your ability to build trusted partnerships and how you can bring that experience to McCain.

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