Kepak is a family-owned, future-facing food company with a rich heritage of more than 50 years of meat craft. From the establishment of a family owned butcher shop in Dublin in 1966, Kepak has grown significantly and today the group has a turnover of €1.6bn and employs more than 5,000 people across 12 manufacturing sites in Ireland and the UK.

 Kepak supplies prime cuts of meat to some of the biggest names in retail, wholesale and foodservice across Ireland, UK, Europe and internationally.

With over 50 years’ expertise in meat craft, we are still leading the way with bespoke innovations and highly successful, international food brands, including Rustlers.

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Category Manager to join the team based at Kepak Kirkham. Working as part of a busy team, the successful candidate will create and lead the Foods Division category vision to drive future growth across multiple categories. This is an exciting and varied role, involving cross-functional working with Brand and Customer Marketing, as well as Sales and Customer Development teams internally, as well as strategic partners and retailers externally. If you're looking for a new position in FMCG, get in touch today.

Responsibilities

• To create, lead and embed Foods Division category vision and plans, working in partnership with our retail customers.
• Act as an objective and independent category advisor, developing and delivering annual category strategy and plans to deliver significant category growth opportunities for Kepak and the retailer.
• To build and develop relationships with the retailers based on credibility and trust
• Build compelling category selling stories to shape retailers’ thinking
• Interpret and utilise category data to grow sales, by interpreting the key trends and dynamics shaping Grocery, Fresh and Chilled and the wider implications for the category and competitors.
• Lead and facilitate cross functional category projects (internally and externally) managing multiple stakeholders.
• To work with the relevant NAMs to support strategic objectives with the retailer.
• Review the results of commercial initiatives to determine their effectiveness Vs category/ consumer/shopper objectives.
• Manage relationships with strategic partners including Nielsen, Kantar, Dunnhumby, HIM, Shopper Research agencies etc.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and proficient in the use of external market data tools with the ability to turn data into insight
• Experience of continuous and ad hoc shopper and consumer market data/ research. Knowledge and experience of using IRI/ Nielsen EPOS data and Kantar/ Scantrack consumer panel data is essential and Dunnhumby is preferred.
• Good communication, relationship building and stakeholder management skills. 
• Strong leadership skills, a strategic thinker, and a real team player.
• Educated to degree level, ideally in marketing or business-related degree.
• 3 Years + category management/ commercial experience within an FMCG environment
• Experience of working with top 5 UK Grocery retailer
• Good understanding of Category management principles - understands the 8-step process and the triple win approach, demonstrates it in day to day activities.
• Evidence of developing and executing category strategies, tactics and plans in partnership with grocery retailers (range, promotion, merchandising, price).
• A thorough understanding of retail, sales and how organisations work (including ranging and space planning).  
• Advanced Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus potential
• Company Car or Car Allowance options
• BUPA Cash plan free of charge
• Values awards program
• Employee assistance program
• Cycle to work scheme
• Corporate gym membership at Ribby Hall Village
• Salary sacrifice pension plans
• Life assurance
• Subsidised canteen and free hot drinks