Category Manager, Category Strategy & Own Label

Position Title: Category Manager Category Strategy & Own Label

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID:40337

Category Manager Category Strategy & Own Label.

About McCain.

At McCain were feeding the world: from French fries to Smiles we contribute to the important role food plays in peoples lives. Thats why were dedicated to ensuring our core valuesFamily Authentic Trusted and Qualityshine through every day. As a privately owned family company with over 60 years of experience a presence in more than 160 countries and a global team of 22000 people our values and culture are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that we can work together along with our business and community partners to bring sustainable growth and positive change today tomorrow and for generations to come. Join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain!

Why join the McCain family.

• Your Life were here to help you fulfil your potential flourish and thrive in work and life.
• Your Success work alongside passionate individuals who are committed to supporting your career ambitions drive and success.
• Your Impact we want you to make a meaningful lasting impact for you for your colleagues and for the business.

About the role.

In every role McCainers are ambitious curious and interested in helping each other create good work experiences. We think about the customer and make doing business with McCain easy.

The Category Manager Category Strategy & Own Label is a pivotal executional role bringing category growth strategies to life across Retail and Foodservice channels. This role plays a key part in translating strategic direction into practical customer- and consumer-led initiatives that accelerate growth for McCain.

Working in close partnership with the Senior Category Manager and environment specialists youll tailor category strategies and activation plans to the specific needs of each channel and customer environment. Youll leverage robust data and insight to design deliver and track initiatives that strengthen the commercial performance of McCains Own Label portfolio.

Youll also support the growth of McCain Groups Own Label business in the UK collaborating closely with UK and European commercial teams to develop locally relevant consumer- and operator-led propositions. These propositions will align to both category and customer strategies helping to deliver McCains growth ambitions across Retail and Foodservice.

As a key point of contact for assigned customers youll build best-in-class engagement clearly articulate the value of McCains category propositions and deliver data-led recommendations that create shared value for both McCain and its customers.

Leadership Principles.

Our principles each with related practices guide our actions across the organisation. Together they address how McCain interacts with our customers and employees and how we work as individuals and collectively to find success. While each role adheres to the Leadership Principles individual roles may focus more on a specific principle or principles.

We are customer obsessed. Customers are our starting point. By understanding their needs and leveraging data and consumer insights we drive mutual success.

We think big and plan ahead. Through ambition curiosity and smart risks we can accomplish goals refine processes and innovate to scale success.

We bring out the best in our people. We create safe spaces for our people so that trust and empowerment come naturally. Inclusion is about listening first showing humility and working together.

We act like owners. Together we clear obstacles and do the work that makes us all successful and proud to be part of McCain.

Accountabilities.

Insight Development & Category Foresight

• Proactively analyse synthesise and communicate insights from a broad range of data sources including market shopper loyalty panel customer and operator data.
• Combine global trade flow share and capacity data with local quantitative and qualitative insight to deliver robust competitor monitoring and performance reporting.
• Translate insight into clear foresight on trends opportunities and risksinforming recommendations that drive growth for both customers and McCain.

Deliver Customer Category Growth Plans

• Execute category growth strategies in partnership with the Senior Category Manager and the wider Category Growth team.
• Work closely with environment and channel specialists to tailor initiatives for maximum impact across both Retail and Foodservice.

Enable Marketing Innovation & Digital Effectiveness

• Support the development of new product range and activation concepts that grow the Own Label portfolio ensuring shared value for McCain customers consumers and operators.
• Contribute to the deployment and continual improvement of selling tools using data and digital capability to increase customer engagement and effectiveness.

Lead Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted partner to key Retail and Foodservice customers leveraging category expertise the 3Cs framework and customer communication plans to build strong value-added relationships.
• Collaborate with UK and European commercial and innovation teams to develop compelling insight-led Own Label proposals for customer meetings range reviews and new business development.
• Deliver clear data-driven recommendations through category reviews assortment optimisation new product proposals and thought leadership initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across internal teams and with external analytics and data partners.

Apply Advanced Data & Analytical Capability

• Confidently query interpret and translate complex data into actionable commercial recommendations.
• Leverage market research loyalty card data shopper panels and operator insights to inform category decisions.
• Bring curiosity and pace by exploring emerging technologiessuch as AI-enabled toolsto improve accuracy speed and impact of insight.

Qualifications:

• 35 years experience in category management insight commercial support or product development within FMCG/CPG ideally with exposure to Retail and/or Foodservice environments.
• A strong track record of turning consumer and market insight into action with the ability to develop clear commercially relevant recommendations.
• Advanced analytical capability with hands-on experience using key data sources and tools including:

• Retail: Kantar Circana (formerly IRI/Nielsen) dunnhumby
• Foodservice: Lumina Intelligence Circana CREST
• Additional tools: PowerBI SAP BI Excel and CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce)

• Proven ability to query interpret and synthesise complex data translating insight into practical business and customer outcomes.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the confidence to build effective relationships across internal teams and with external partners.
• A working knowledge of commercial frameworks across both Own Label and Branded propositions.

Location.

Being in the office every single day is a thing of the past. Here at McCain we champion hybrid working. This means we dont have a set expectation of exactly when you need to be in the office however we do encourage our full-time office-based people to connect in person with others for around half of their working time as thats the best way for us to build and maintain our connections. Our head office (Customer Experience Centre) is on the outskirts of Scarborough 1.5 hours away from Leeds City Centre and about an hour from York. We have lots of colleagues who travel to and from our Experience Centre (even if it is just for a good coffee!) and because hybrid really does mean hybrid at McCain they get the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues when theyre in the office and balance that with working from home to ensure they get a good life-work balance.

The benefits of working for McCain.

Although we do encourage you to taste the goods youll be pleased to know we dont pay you in chips. For working hard youll also get a great salary and some pretty good benefits including:

• A generous Car Allowance
• An achievable yearly bonus based on personal performance.
• An excellent pension where we will pay double what you do up to a maximum of 12% of your pay
• Flexible holidays where you can buy & sell up to 5 days holiday per year
• Optional health cash plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Chips In Volunteering Day Off - to make a positive impact to the competitiveness resilience and long-term development of McCain communities across the globe

And of course being part of a Global business there are great opportunities to shine/thrive should you wish to relocate in the future. We have an ambitious 5-year growth plan that presents development & progression opportunities for those who seek it out.

The McCain experience (standard across all job postings).

We are McCain: this statement is about our power collectively and our importance individuallyyour impact is a significant part of the business. Our winning culture focuses on authenticity and trust so we can always bring out the best in our people. Here you have the opportunity to learn grow and thrive while being yourself. Join our team to see why were better together.

#LI-OW1

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity resilience and success and makes our business qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race religion color national origin sex age veteran status disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms) please let us knowand we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCains Global Privacy Policyand Global Employee Privacy Policy as applicable. You can understand how your personal information isbeing handled here.

Job Family:Sales
Division:GB Commercial Foodservice
Department:Category Strategy
Location(s): GB - United Kingdom : England : Scarborough
GB - United Kingdom : England : Hull
GB - United Kingdom : England : Leeds
GB - United Kingdom : England : York

Company:McCain Foods (G.B.) Ltd