Job Description

Category Specialist

Area: Bellville, Cape Town

Package: R55000 Cost to Company (Inclusive of medical aid and provident fund) per month

Duties & Responsibilities

The role reports to the Marketing Manager. Location is in Cape Town, with travels for research projects, internal meetings, industry events and customer visits.

Duties & Responsibilities

- To build and follow-up the Category strategy in all consumer channels (FMCG, DIY, Stationery, Digital/Websites)

- To define the Margin level and Retail Price positioning of the Category

- To participate in the NPD roadmap in collaboration with R&D, other SUs and regions/countries

- Global product management, development and maintenance within the Category for the Consumer channels

- Design and re-design packaging layouts for Consumer products

- Global Innovation roll-out management

- Aligning best POS practices with Global Consumer market

- Support new Market development

- To ensure the Margin level and Retail Price positioning of the Category is aligned with company expectations

Category / Channel strategy:

- Contribute to the 5-year strategic plan, in line with annual global roadmaps, in collaboration with regions/countries

- Follow-up the annual roadmap with regions/countries

- Measure KPIs and track the progress in the regions

- Visit the regions/countries to stay up to date with market development

- Visit trade shows

Category management:

- Monitor GP/MVC targets and define corrective action plans when needed

- Participate in pricing alignment within Global accounts, channels and markets

- Analyse competition, our performance and our product offer, and make adaptations in order to ensure a winning category offer

- Follow up with the regions on the category performance and collaborate on initiatives to support the agreed roadmap

- Help the region in shelf planning and share global best POS execution practices

- Ensure Brand and Packaging consistency within the Category

Product development:

- Manage the NPD process, be involved in the R&D process validation for the category/channel projects

- Feed the NPD process with news, ideas and ensure a well filled pipeline

- Build R&D or Purchasing programs in collaboration with other SUs in order to optimize the cost and product offering with the Category

- Together with Purchasing, R&D develop new concepts with external suppliers

Packaging / Layout design:

- Update the designs within the category, to ensure distinctiveness and competitive advantage

- Approval of local packaging designs within the category, ensuring a global layout, branding and product name consistency

- portfolio with new and innovative packaging formats; assess industry trends and identify relevant suppliers

- Conduct consumer tests to ensure market acceptance

Trade support:

- Monitor RSPs and define corrective action plans when needed

- Analyse competition, our performance and our product offer, and make adaptations in order to ensure we win

Skills & Requirements

• 5-year strategic Category / Channel plan
• Annual Roll Out plan
• Turnover and GP/ MVC performance of the Category
• Global Category / channel Marketing Budget
• Well managed NPD and Innovation process
• FMCG and Hardware marketing experience would be beneficial
• Good solid understanding of the retail environment
• Product development and category management is essential and not negotiable.
• Degree in Marketing, Business administration or a related field
• Ability to think on Strategic level
• Good communicator I Team player I High degree of fluency in English
• Demonstrated experience in scoping and conducting quantitative and qualitative market studies
• Comfortable with figures and analysis, in particular for market data
• Detail-oriented with an ability to creatively and clearly present market trends and research findings in written, graphical and verbal formats
• Awareness of key trends, customers, competitors in DIY/Consumer and adjacent markets (Construction, Retail etc.)
• Self-starter able to flourish in a fast-paced and flexible environment
• Good interpersonal skills and an ability to identify sources of market intelligence from both internal and external networks insights

ExecutivePlacements.com