Category Manager - Premium Drinks

You've earned your stripes working in a corporate bluechip FMCG environment, and made the most of all of the training and support that comes with it.

You're considering what's next internally, but you know it'll be a similar role to your current with an inflated job title and a few extra £.

You're keen to break away from working in traditional, highly commoditised FMCG categories, fixated on pricing and promotions.

Consider working in this niche, premium category that's driving total category growth; has been for the past 3 years and is predicted to for the next 5.

It's within alcoholic drinks, too - which hopefully excites you…

Internationally owned, the brands have rich heritage - real heritage, as in they're still produced with the same ingredients in the same place as they always have been - which have grown from being not just firm favourites in their niche categories, but in the total category globally.

The ethos of the business is to build brands in the on-trade, and then drive them in the off-trade - a strategy that's proved to be very successful with their key brands in the UK.

Following a recent re-structure, and growth of the category function internally, they are looking to hire an experienced Category Manager to own category management for the on-trade channels - a key role within the team and wider commercial function.

Leading with insight, the focus will be on showing customers that it's not all about pricing and promotion, and a dedication to building brand equity can drive both volume and distribution whilst being sold at a premium price - which they've continued to prove for over a decade with impressive sales growth YOY.

This is a challenge though, working with customers who perhaps haven't benefited from a dedicated category manager before, instead used to working with field sales or key accounts teams.

You'll need to be able to proactively develop your own relationships separate from the sales team, acting truly independently with a core focus on driving total category growth, not revenue.

You'll need the ability to work without a mountain of data - which you may be used to having - and still create compelling arguments that can demonstrate real tangible opportunities for your customers.

You'll also need to be naturally curious about your category - a passion for premium drinks will help - and want to work in a complex, evolving category.

The ambiguity should excite you - in the true entrepreneurial sense - and if your only remaining thoughts are around whether you can live without the perks of corporate life, that's also taken care of for you.

This is a young, growing business with the backing of the 5th largest company in its category, globally.

This includes a generous pension, healthcare and all the other perks you'd expect from a £multi-billion turnover business - which in this case happens to includes 12 free crates of crisp, premium goodness per year.

If this sounds better than the 'what's next' you had in mind, Apply today and let's have a chat.