Category Manager

Job description

Strategic Category & Customer Management

• Act as the primary contact for sales teams, translating the national growth strategy into actionable customer plans across promotion, assortment and communication
• Define targets, track performance, and optimize execution to drive category and brand success

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Continuously monitor KPIs from Circana/Nielsen, Gfk, and research insights to manage category, channel, and customer performance
• Identify market trends & shopper insights to develop data-backed growth recommendations

Best-in-Class Storytelling

• Develop compelling sell-in stories, ensuring strong customer buy-in through insight-driven narratives

Data & Budget Management

• Oversee local data contracts and manage strategic relationships with Nielsen, GfK, IRI, ensuring optimal budget allocation for insights and reporting

Shelf & Category Optimization

• Lead shelf/category management initiatives, collaborating with customers to enhance category impact

Digital Commerce & Retail Media Expertise

• Act as the channel expert for eCom activation and digital retail media, ensuring top-tier execution across digital platforms
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive digital growth initiatives and maximize brand presence in eCommerce

Profile

• Academic Excellence: A master’s degree in economics, marketing, or equivalent
• Proven Expertise: 3+ years in Category Management, ideally with GS1-certification
• Consumer Insights: Comprehensive knowledge of relevant panel data (e.g., GfK, Circana, YouGov), including the ability to analyze and strategically leverage this data
• Strategic Communicator: Excellent storytelling & communication abilities to set-up compelling sell-in strategies
• POS Mastery: Clear understanding of growth levers within stationary retail and how to activate them, ideally with first experience in retail media and knowledge of eCommerce
• Operational excellence: Proven track record in strategic planning, market analysis & brand growth
• Project Management: Collaborative mindset with the ability to work cross-functional
• Language Skills: Fluency in German (full professional proficiency) and a strong command of English (written and spoken).
• Cultural Fit: True team player, approachable, pro-active, positive and strong communicator
• Insights Ambassador: Great passion for data insights and the ability to persuade others of your ideas
• Brand Lover: Great passion for our brands and categories
• Proactive Achiever: With a hands-on mentality, you are ambitious to take ownership, develop new ideas & follow up to ensure excellence in execution
• Innovative Thinker: Ambitious and forward-looking, you proactively develop new ideas and follow up to ensure excellence in execution
• Results-Driven Visionary: You take an active role in identifying and shaping today’s and future potentials of the business