Category Manager - Away From Home

PepsiCo UK is home to some of the world's most loved food and drink products, making everyday favorites like Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, and Monster Munch. We have a fantastic reputation for developing and launching products that our consumers love. PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers around the world more than one billion times a day in over 200 countries and territories. The company generated $91 billion in net revenue in 2023. In the UK, we pride ourselves on being a great place to work and in 2023 have been awarded the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality for the 18th year in a row and Top Employer for the 12th year in a row. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people.

We are seeking a Category Manager to join us working within the Away from Home Channel. The incumbent will be responsible for implementing the multi-year strategy to develop the Savoury Snacks category and disproportionately grow the sales of PepsiCo’s portfolio of brands. This is a critical role that will work closely with the relevant Commercial teams as part of a matrix organization to represent the voice of the category, discuss the latest trends, and keep the business updated on the external landscape.

Responsibilities

• Category Development: Develop comprehensive ‘category action plans’ that are aligned to the multi-year strategy and AOP objectives. This includes conducting market analysis, assessing the competitive landscape, and identifying growth opportunities.
• Assortment Planning: Collaborate with the Perfect Store, Sales, and Marketing teams to determine the optimal assortment for the category. Analyze sales data, consumer trends, and customer feedback to make informed decisions.
• Customer Engagement: Establish and maintain strong relationships with priority customers to ensure that PepsiCo is a credible category partner, particularly during the range review process.
• Activation & Planning: Develop recommendations for the category to drive sales and maximize profitability. Collaborate with Marketing, Shopper Marketing, and Sales to execute promotional and brand campaigns effectively (e.g., events).
• Performance Analysis: Track and analyze key performance metrics, such as sales, distribution, and rate of sale. Identify areas for improvement and implement course-correction tactics to drive continuous growth.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with various internal and external teams to collaborate on NPD launches, campaigns, promotional activities, and other initiatives.
• Market Trends Monitoring: Stay informed about industry trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activities. Use insights to adapt category strategies and stay ahead of market changes.

Qualifications

• Previous experience working within Category Management or related functions.
• Previous experience of the Away from Home channel preferred but not essential.
• Practical experience of category-first or ‘triple-win’ thinking is a must.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis tools and techniques.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong business acumen.
• Demonstrates ‘end-to-end’ thinking & thought-leadership.
• Presents complex information & recommendations in a simplified, yet compelling manner.
• Clearly articulates the business impact (i.e., connects the insights, actions & implications).
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven track record of implementing successful strategies.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and other relevant applications.

Why PepsiCo?

We offer a competitive salary, bonus, car allowance, critical illness cover, flexible working, discounted gym membership, market-leading health and wellbeing support, and a generous company pension. In 2024, we have enhanced our extended parental leave offering, now paying in full for 26 weeks of maternity leave and 10 weeks for paternity leave for those who have the respective length of service. We’re also pushing our benefits to be more pep+ by offering electric cars through salary sacrifice with a partnership with Octopus Energy. We pride ourselves on our superb workforce. The people in this business genuinely care about doing a great job! We have a common goal - to continuously improve our business performance and our own personal development. With the majority of the executive team having been promoted organically, we are continually developing and encouraging our employees to push themselves further and offering them support with their continual learning. Career progression is incredibly important to us, and we provide great opportunities to grow a long-term career.

A space to be y( )u: We want each and every PepsiCo employee to feel comfortable just simply being who they are and bring their full self to work. We celebrate what makes us all unique and know that to truly represent the communities around us we must reflect them in our workforce. That’s why we’ve empowered our employees to champion diversity and set up grassroots groups to drive our diversity and inclusion agenda from the ground up, embedding it in our culture. To find out more about our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), ask our team.

We are an equal opportunity employer and comply with the Equality Act 2010. We value diversity at our company; it is an essential part of our success. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, pregnancy or maternity, marital/civil partnerships, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, disability, or race including; color, nationality, ethnic or national origin. To enable you to be at your best, we will ensure you are provided with any physical or non-physical adjustments to support your participation in the job application and interview process. Please speak to the Recruiter directly about any support you need.