Category Management plays a pivotal role in FMCG — sitting at the intersection of consumer insight, retailer strategy, and commercial execution. It’s a function that’s evolved from data support to strategic business partnering and is now a vital growth driver across grocery, convenience, eCommerce, and beyond.
But how do you grow a career in this space? What does the typical progression look like — and how can you stand out at each stage?
In this blog, we’ll walk through a typical career roadmap for Category Management professionals in UK FMCG, from entry-level roles to senior leadership. Along the way, we’ll cover salary benchmarks, key skills, and what businesses are looking for in 2025 and beyond.
1. Getting Started: Category Executive / Analyst
Typical Salary: £30,000 – £42,000
Key Skills: Data analysis, Excel/Nielsen/IRI, stakeholder support, presentation skills
Most careers in Category Management begin at this level, where you’ll work closely with Category Managers and account teams to support retailer engagement and performance tracking.
Your role here is to master the tools of the trade — whether that’s EPOS data, market share reports, or planogram software. You’ll support promotional analysis, range reviews, and build early confidence in presenting insights to internal teams or junior retail buyers.
Tip: Learn to turn numbers into narratives. The ability to tell the story behind the data is one of the most valued (and rare) skills in FMCG.
2. Stepping Up: Category Manager
Typical Salary: £45,000 – £60,000
Key Deliverables: Retailer relationships, range reviews, JBPs, commercial insight
At this stage, you’ll take ownership of key customer accounts, working directly with retailers to drive growth through range optimisation, pricing recommendations, and shopper insights.
You’ll be expected to work cross-functionally — collaborating with sales marketing teams — and take a more strategic role in how your category performs within key retail partners.
Tip: Invest time in understanding the retailer’s world. Every major grocer has its own pressures, KPIs, and priorities — knowing these can help you build credibility and influence decisions.
3. Broadening Scope: Senior Category Manager
Typical Salary: £60,000 – £72,000
Core Focus: Strategic category planning, team mentoring, multi-customer ownership
As a Senior Category Manager, you're expected to move beyond tactical recommendations to shaping longer-term category strategy. You may take on more complex customers (e.g., Tesco, Sainsbury’s), oversee category vision work, and manage direct reports or dotted-line support.
You’ll be seen as a category expert within the business — advising marketing on range extensions, supporting NPD launches with insight, and working directly with customer teams to refine plans.
Tip: Make sure you’re building your influence outside the data. Your ability to challenge the status quo, manage upwards, and drive alignment will increasingly define your success.
4. Leading the Function: Category Controller / Head of Category
Typical Salary: £75,000 – £100,000
Responsibilities: Team leadership, retailer strategy, category vision development, exec-level stakeholder management
At this stage, you’re responsible for setting the strategic direction of the category function and ensuring it supports wider commercial goals. You’ll typically lead a team of Category Managers and Analysts and work closely with Sales Directors, Marketing, and external agencies.
This is where insight turns into influence. You’ll be representing the voice of the shopper internally, building retailer-facing narratives, and ensuring your team is equipped to deliver best-in-class category partnerships.
Tip: Focus on leadership development — not just people management. Category leaders need to influence board-level decisions and shape future-facing strategy.
5. Executive Leadership: Category Director
Typical Salary: £90,000 – £125,000+
Expectations: Functional leadership, long-term strategy, business performance, transformation initiatives
As a Category Director, your role may be standalone or part of a broader commercial leadership team. You’ll be responsible for translating insight into growth strategy, aligning multiple functions behind a single plan, and leading transformation in how category thinking supports the business.
You’ll also be expected to represent your company externally — whether in retailer strategy meetings, industry events, or cross-supplier collaborations.
Tip: Many leaders at this level have experience across sales, marketing, or insights. Broadening your experience beyond category can be a critical step to unlocking board-level roles.
Market Trends in 2025
- Insights from the Allexo Search 2025 Salary & Talent Guide reveal several key trends shaping the Category Management landscape:
- Hiring has been flat: Category headcount growth fell -6% in the 2024, suggesting stable but competitive movement.
- Strong gender diversity: 60% of category professionals are female — higher than in functions like sales or RGM.
- Location hotspots: London and the South East, Leeds and Manchester remain key hubs for category roles.
- Top employers hiring category talent include Mondel?z, Mars, Diageo, Premier Foods, and L’Oréal.
- Salaries have increased, with six-figure roles more accessible at Head of Category level and above.
Progression Tips for Category Professionals
Wherever you are in your journey, here are five strategies to support your development:
1. Own the Numbers — and the Narrative
You’ll be working with more data than most. The differentiator? Your ability to make that data matter to commercial and retail stakeholders.
2. Build Internal Partnerships
Category doesn’t operate in a vacuum. The best professionals influence decisions across Sales, Marketing, NPD, and Supply Chain.
3. Stay Retail-Savvy
Retail is evolving fast — from discounters and eCommerce to data-driven shelf-edge decisions. Stay close to these changes and adapt.
4. Push for Visibility
If you’re doing great work but staying behind the scenes, you’ll be overlooked. Take ownership of retailer presentations, internal strategy reviews, and cross-functional projects.
5. Invest in Leadership
Even if you're not managing people yet, you can develop leadership qualities — from mentoring peers to leading projects or representing your team in stakeholder meetings.
Final Thoughts
A career in FMCG Category Management offers challenge, commercial impact, and long-term career progression — especially for those who blend analytical strength with strategic thinking.
As category teams become more embedded in business decision-making, those who understand both data and dynamics will have the edge.
Whether you're just starting out as an analyst or mapping a route to functional leadership, having a clear roadmap — and staying close to market trends — will help you build a career that’s as rewarding as it is impactful.
Want to see how your salary or team structure compares?
Download the Allexo 2025 Salary & Talent Insights Guide here
