Senior Category Manager in London

Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you. As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led, resilient and positive because we expect pace and agility, we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact.

Our story: Family and ideas have always been our ingredients. Our founding families believed biscuits and chocolates could bring moments of happiness to the world. Their ideas have stood the test of time. Their spirit continues to inspire our future. It’s in the care and the craft we bake into biscuits and chocolates that have been loved for generations. And it’s in the fresh ideas, the new twists, flavours and textures we add to old and new favourites.

Our 16,000 colleagues across our global network of bakers, distribution sites and offices each with their own unique, diverse experience. To bring happiness with every bite.

If you’re a part of the pladis team, you know what it means to bring it. Whether it’s resilience, team spirit or go-getting attitude. Our courage and compassion. Our ownership. Our whole selves. We Bring it. Day in, day out.

Inspired by you: Our founders didn’t follow rules and recipes, they created them. We’re looking for fresh thinkers to help us create the next chapter for pladis. pladis succeeds because of people like you. People who wake up in the morning excited to get to work. Who believe in themselves and their potential. Who want to grow as part of a global community of like-minded colleagues! Because growth is our oxygen and our fuel. And it’s our deep and abiding belief that growth comes from working together, helping each other out, always passionate about our purpose to bring happiness with every bite.

Our Purpose: Bring happiness with every bite! It’s a purpose that every one of our colleagues, all around the world believes in. And while we’re all unique, we also share the same values. Each of our values is important on its own. In combination they’re incredibly powerful. Our values have deep personal meaning to us. They’re part of who we are and what we stand for as an employer. Living our pladis values is a key part of success, look out for questions in your interview that link to these key pladis values.

The Cake Business Unit is a new and dedicated team with the ambition to transform pladis footprint in the cake category. The role of the Senior Category Manager, Cake is key to deliver our ambition, and will partner with our top 4 grocery customers to drive the sales of the Cake Category. This will be done through the provision of industry-leading shopper, retailer and market insights to enable robust decision making on category initiatives, product ranges, merchandising, business planning and promotions. This is a crucial customer-facing role to achieve Category Leadership.

What will this role achieve? Reporting into the Head of Commercial, Cake, the Senior Category Manager will inspire and influence their customers to implement growth driving category initiatives. By developing proximity and partnership with Grocery buyers and planners, they will thrive to establish pladis as the go-to category partner of choice, optimising Cake range, distribution, space, location, promotions and availability.

What will be your key deliverables?

• Customer Relationships: Build and expand our ongoing relationship with the Top4 retailers, broadening our engagement and becoming the go-to person for category advice & range reviews. This will include a detailed understanding of key decision-makers, customer strategy and goals to implement a successful contact strategy. The Senior Category Manager, Cake will work within their customers timeline and commercial calendar to identify and unlock category opportunities.
• Category Growth Plans: The Senior Category Manager, Cake will partner with the Cake Business Unit leadership team to develop our Cake category plans. These plans will balance short-term returns with long-term initiatives and will be tailored by customer and will be brought to life in a simple and engaging way.
• Category Fundamentals: This role will develop and implement initiatives to improve range, distribution, location, availability, promotions and space (Macro, primary and secondary) for Cake, whilst making the category easier and more enjoyable to shop. Participation in the top 4 range reviews will be a must, to maximise ranging window opportunities and track progress against agreed metrics.
• Analysis and Reporting: The Senior Category Manager, Cake will objectively evaluate Category performance and our customers risks or opportunities, and proactively communicate recommendations to key stakeholders, internally and externally. Data will be turned into insights to improve customers and pladis’ performance.

Key measures:

• Participation in top 4 range reviews
• Receptiveness from decision makers to implement category initiatives
• Listing, distribution and space gains.
• Agreed specific Category Plan metrics
• AGS Score for category and for “Delivering Insights”

Bring your experience:

• Robust Category Management experience gained in a FMCG manufacturing organisation.
• Proven understanding of category management principles and execution, with previous participation in annual range reviews.
• Story teller, with ability to turn complex data sets into insights clear narrative, to communicate recommendations in a compelling way.
• Comfortable with data, with broad numerical & analytical experience.
• Strong communication, presentation & influencing skills with a proven record of delivery.
• Good relationship building skills with partners.
• Some knowledge of space planning, insights tools and data sets spanning but not limited to JDA, Nielsen, Kantar, Dunnhumby.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office products.

Our Values:

• Purpose led: We’re energised and guided by our purpose to bring happiness with every bite.
• Agile: We’re ever evolving, we never stand still, always improving for our customers and our consumers.
• Positive: We’re highly motivated, optimistic, courageous, and we inspire each other to be better.
• Resilient: We’re persistent in the face of setbacks, quick to adapt, learn and move forward.
• Collaborative: We gain strength from operating as one pladis, winning and succeeding together.

pladis is an equal opportunities employer, like every great recipe we’re a thoughtful mix. A happy and inclusive place to work that’s as diverse as our consumers and the communities we support, live and work in, all around the world. Where every voice is heard, and difference is celebrated. Where fresh perspectives and new ideas help us grow and thrive.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform key job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

pladis is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.