Category Development Manager (FTC 12 months)

Be part of something big. We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries.

Here in the UK, Pernod Ricard is made up of 4 businesses:

• Pernod Ricard UK, which markets, sells and distributes our products in the UK
• Chivas Brothers, responsible for the production and management of our award-winning Scotch whisky portfolio
• Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, the global and EMEA home of the group’s duty free, air travel and cruises business
• The Absolut Group, the brand owner of our global white spirits portfolio

We are an organisation of 2,000 employees in the UK, headquartered in London, in a brand-new office designed with sustainability, ‘conviviality’ and collaboration in mind.

Your new team: This position sits in our Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) business. Our diverse population of 300+ passionate employees have been creating conviviality since 2001. At PRUK, we have a culture that blends performance and conviviality: we are recognised as an open and diverse business with a firm commitment to our employees’ wellness, inclusion and safety.

The Customer Development Manager ensures our customer and market strategies are grounded in robust shopper, sales, and category insights to drive mutually beneficial category growth in Spirits, Champagne, and RTDs in line with our business ambitions.

Your unique contribution: You will have the following main areas of responsibility:

• Develop and Deliver Insight-Led Growth Strategies
• Turn category, shopper, and consumer data into clear insights that drive growth for PRUK and Off-Trade customers.
• Build strong retailer relationships, delivering category stories, trend insights, and growth recommendations.
• Support key customer engagements with compelling analysis.
• Drive Category Thought Leadership
• Develop forward-thinking category perspectives that keep PRUK ahead of market trends.
• Maximise the Value of Data & Tools
• Manage day-to-day relationships with data suppliers and ensure strong ROI on data investment.
• Influence Internally Across PRUK
• Present category insights in key internal meetings and planning forums.

Who you’ll be working with: You will have the following key relationships:

• Wider Category and Insights Team
• Strategy & Transformation Team
• Commercial account teams for your customer(s)
• Key category contacts within your customer(s)
• Brand teams for your dedicated brand(s)

Your blend of talent: This position could be right for you if you have experience in category development, customer insights, or commercial strategy, with exposure to off-trade channels and data-driven decision-making.

Capabilities:

• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills to turn insights into action.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills.
• Results-oriented mindset with a focus on driving growth and business impact.
• Project management skills to deliver multiple initiatives and customer engagements effectively.

Our mix of benefits: For your health, we offer private medical insurance, critical illness cover and an optional healthcare cash plan and dental insurance. Our lifestyle benefits options include 28 days’ annual holiday, your employee pension, share incentive plan, family care, season ticket loans, free mortgage advice, payroll giving and more!

We’re committed to diversity and inclusion. People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit. We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain.

Responsible drinking: We want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing. In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success.