Head of Category Management and Shopper Marketing D-A-CH BNL

Are you ready to be a catalyst for change and a key player in driving category growth? Join the team and be part of an exciting journey to make a real impact on the market.

Your Job

This company is seeking an individual who embodies the following qualities: a conceptual thinker with a deep appreciation for data interpretation and a keen eye for detail. You should be a passionate leader, a natural problem solver, and possess a strong business acumen. You’re result-driven and have a profound understanding of various cultures and their work dynamics within the EMEA region, with a strong focus on D-A-CH. Being independent and a self-starter, you’re driven to engage directly with the customers, contributing to the continuous development of the meat snacks category. As a member of the marketing team, you’ll report to the Marketing Director.

Your primary mission is to advance category management and shopper marketing in Central Europe. This entails driving category growth and increasing sales at a customer-specific level. To achieve this, you’ll leverage insights across areas such as product range, space utilization, promotions, store formats, shopper marketing, and retail execution. The core category they are focusing on is snacking.

Key Accountabilities

• Foster the growth of their category relationships with key accounts in Germany, while nurturing shopper-centric partnerships with our retail partners, recognizing the shopper as their shared stakeholder.
• Lead a dynamic category and shopper team covering D-A-CH and BNL regions, and elevate our already strong customer relationships.
• Deliver actionable category insights aimed at influencing shopper behavior in the short and long term, both online and offline at the Point of Sale.
• Develop and lead the implementation of customized category growth plans with their customers.
• Take the helm in leading customer teams and serve as the center of expertise for shoppers and categories within these teams, actively contributing to the customers’ growth.
• Act as an internal consultant and the primary point of contact for all commercial and market-driven insights, encompassing shopper data, market trends, and retailer interactions.
• Shape a new category vision, emphasizing shopper insights, category definition, segmentation, and the drivers and enablers of success at the Point of Sale.
• Craft shopper-centric narratives for new product offerings and launches and present them to retail partners.
• Lead the development of conceptual priorities for sales and the sales force, including optimizing the store layout, shelf displays, and more.
• Develop and execute tailor-made shopper marketing programs targeted at retailers, wholesalers, and distributors, overseeing their coordination and implementation.
• Contribute insights to establish standards for Point of Sale execution and sales materials. Provide guidance and training to sales teams, manage commercial capital expenditures and Point of Sale materials, evaluate the effectiveness of activities, and share valuable insights.
• Be willing to do whatever it takes to drive category growth.
• Embrace the culture of this company, integrate its values into your daily work life and act as a culture ambassador and brand steward.

Experience required;

• Master degree with at least 10 years of relevant experience in FMCG/Food in retail or
• manufacturer
• GS1 Certification
• Leadership of category teams in the past 5 year
• German and English as a must
• Extensive network in the ECR/CM world in Germany
• Thorough knowledge of the D-A-CH retail market in Food, including Discounters and Out of Home
• Having dealt with impulse categories before (snacks/drinks)
• Understanding of peculiarities/differences in European FMCG markets
• Category Insight experience with a working knowledge of Trade- and Shopper Panels (IRI,
• Nielsen, GfK, Customer loyalty platforms etc.)
• Growth mindset
• Loving number analysis, is extremely accurate
• Hands on mentality, getting things done, drive for results
• Loving running the show in front of our customers
• Effective communication, planning and influencing skills
• Energetic and enthusiastic ‘self-starter’
• Fluent in professional English and Dutch. French is a plus

You get;

• Salary up to €130K (including bonus)
• Good secondary conditions
• Possibility of working from home
• Inspiring and international working environment

About the Company;

This company is a global leader in branded protein snacks, family owned and value driven. Next to that they are expanding rapidly in EMEA. The in The Netherlands based EMEA team is highly international, with more than 25 different nationalities, and committed to continuing its impressive European expansion and becoming the regional leader in branded protein snacks.