Senior Category Development Manager - Boots in Slough

City: Slough

About the role

You will work on the front line of strategic execution and at the centre of product delivery within a FTSE10 Company and one of the top 3 TV advertisers in the UK – with results that consistently outperform our competitors. Our brands are Number 1 or Number 2 brands in all their primary markets and we work with key retail players like Tesco, Boots, Asda and Sainsbury (amongst many others!). You will be able to say that you work for the most successful market innovator in the sector – with 30% of sales over three years coming from new products – and a company recognised for the strength of its commercial capabilities, offering numerous career opportunities.

Your responsibilities

• You will be responsible for influencing and driving our key retailer relationships to advance the in-store execution of the category.
• The role will involve internal cross functional working with the National Account and the trade marketing teams and ensuring clear strategic building blocks and tactics are being driven with the appropriate sense of urgency externally to result in store excellence and retailer performance.
• Reporting into Head of Category Development UK.
• Develop and deliver effective 4P execution based on local Success Models and an understanding of customers, categories and consumers to maximise category performance.
• Liaise with Trade Marketing to ensure that NPD plans and wider categories are aligned and best practices are shared.
• Customise strategies and plans to align with and support the retailers strategy.
• Own and lead category storytelling, ensuring insight‑led, retailer‑ready narratives that land clearly with buying and merchandising teams.
• Effectively negotiate mutually beneficial solutions with various stakeholders and influence key decision‑makers to improve in‑store presence and execution of the category.
• Implement own initiatives from concept to in‑store execution.
• Embed shopper‑centric thinking into all recommendations, using missions, occasions and behaviours to shape plans.
• Lead space and layout optimisation across shelves to maximise availability and conversion.
• Drive the range review process.
• Understand and consider the impact of own decisions and independent action within other Reckitt units and wider business.
• Act as the category subject‑matter expert, bringing thought leadership to both internal teams and customers.
• Manages and develops their direct report/s, setting clear objectives, providing regular coaching and feedback, and driving high performance through effective performance management, capability building and prioritisation aligned to category and business goals.

The experience we’re looking for

• Strong commercial acumen with a clear understanding of the Customer Management Process.
• Able to translate category strategy into retailer‑relevant execution and financial impact, including sales, margin, ranging, space productivity and ROI, with a solid understanding of retailer P&L, executional capabilities and strategic priorities.
• Highly competent analysing large volumes of complex data across multiple sources, applying strong analytical rigour to generate clear, actionable insight.
• Able to identify true shopper behaviour drivers rather than surface‑level trends and consistently link insight to commercially meaningful recommendations and plans.
• Confident communicator, able to operate and influence effectively at all levels internally and externally.
• Proven ability to land ideas with customers and stakeholders, driving adoption of category recommendations.
• Strong verbal storyteller and presenter, using data visualisation to bring insight to life.
• Effectively manages objections and negotiates within a category context, tailoring messaging to different audiences.
• Designs recommendations that are practical, scalable and implementable in‑store, with a strong understanding of retailer and store operations, POG and space constraints, merchandising principles, ranging logic and implementation realities.
• Builds category‑first growth plans and compelling category narratives, connecting short‑term actions to a clear category direction and long‑term growth story, and anchoring recommendations in an overarching category vision and strategy.
• Proactive and accountable, with strong pace and a clear bias for action.
• Focuses on turning insight into execution through clear recommendations, disciplined implementation and robust tracking, taking full ownership of outcomes rather than analysis alone.
• Builds strong, effective working relationships across sales, trade, category, marketing and customers.
• Communicates clearly and transparently, constructively navigating conflicting views to reach aligned solutions.
• Demonstrates the ability to lead, coach and manage others, while planning, prioritising and managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Strong knowledge of syndicated and customer data sources (for example Nielsen/IRI, retailer portal data and panel data).
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and the wider Microsoft suite, with working knowledge of Spaceman or equivalent tools, such as VST and JDA.

The skills for success

• Trade Marketing
• Field sales; Field sales management
• Ecommerce
• Analysing sales and Ecommerce data
• Leadership skills
• Consumer Insights
• Shopper Insights
• Customer Insights
• Category Analysis
• Collaboration and partnership skills
• Influencing
• Consultative Selling
• Customer strategy
• Channel strategy
• Sales strategy development
• Perform product planning
• Financial acumen
• Commercial acumen
• Sales negotiation
• P&L Management
• Strategy Execution
• Operational Excellence

What we offer

With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt's potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short‑term incentives to recognise, appreciate and reward your work for delivering outstanding results. You will be rewarded in line with Reckitt's pay for performance philosophy.

Equality

We recognise that in real life, great people don't always 'tick all the boxes'. That's why we hire for potential as well as experience. Even if you don't meet every point on the job description, if this role and our company feels like a good fit for you, we still want to hear from you. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability or medical condition; colour, ethnicity, race, citizenship, and national origin; religion, faith; pregnancy, family status and caring responsibilities; sexual orientation; sex, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity; protected veteran status; size or any other basis protected by appropriate law.