Category Development Manager at Human Capital Synergies Africa Ltd

Our client a leading FMCG Company with known brands both locally and globally seeks to recruit a Category Development Manager who will undertake the following:

• Support the development and implementation of well rounded commercial category and brands strategies followed by effective operational execution plans of these strategies.
• Responsible for protecting, growing and building the assigned categories by managing the demand for the respective brands so as to achieve budgeted volume, value, market share and profit objectives.
• Responsible for developing and effectively implementing marketing initiatives for the categories and driving the harmonization of brand proposition in East Africa.

Reports to: Head of Marketing

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development, tracking/measuring and completion of commercial category and brand plans - strategic and operational plans, annual and monthly performance review, budget plan, research plans, activity cycle plans and all related activity plans aligned to the business plans.
• Drive brand innovations to improve brand image attributes amongst customers.
• Engagement with key Distributors, wholesalers and direct customers to ensure delivery on category and brand initiatives and drive the creative processes for our brands together with Sales and Trade Marketing department.
• Develop and manage initiatives to improve processes, practices and methods to reduce complexity and enhance speed to market as well as consumer benefits.
• Monitoring brand availability and sales, and being proactive on factors affecting the brand sales and market share performance.
• Provide relevant information in a timely manner to support effective and efficient decision making.
• Support development of A&P Budgets and manage it effectively to ensure spend in line with strategic direction to enable category and brand growth.
• Managing and monitoring the category marketing initiatives calendar to ensure excellent effective, efficient On time and in full delivery.
• Planning and implementing wholistic category media strategy.
• Advertising, media, Digital, below the line agencies and other supplier liaison and management.
• Alignment and liaison with Sales Department on brand performance delivery.
• Liaising and active engagement with Manufacturing and Sales on S&OP management.
• Analyzing market research data, including secondary research and taking corrective action for enhancement of category strategies.
• Interacting with the Regional /global category and brand liaisons and giving updates on implementation of brand strategic plans.
• Monitoring competitor activities affecting the categories and respective brands while taking appropriate corrective actions.
• Drive New Product innovations by monitoring, evaluating and recommending category innovations, brand packaging, including pack and range extensions, and following through to implementation by liaising with the Head of Marketing and NPD process stakeholders.
• Continuously monitoring category and brand costs and profitability and recommending areas of improvement.
• Preparing monthly category and brand expenditure and variance reports to control budgeted expenditure.
• Carrying out market intelligence through regular trade visits and utilizing this to enhance category commercial initiatives and delivery.
• Recommending, planning and coordinating brand PR activities likely to enhance the category and brand sales and image in the short and long term.
• Liaising with Procurement to source promotional and packaging material for category and brand initiatives per approved commercial brand plans.

Qualifications & Experience

• University graduate preferably Marketing and economics.
• A minimum of 2-4 years commercial experience in Marketing functions in an FMCG multinational including experience working with cross-functional sales, trade, procurement, Operations and Finance teams
• Knowledge and understanding of Marketing principles and truths, category and brand strategy development, brand plans, new product development, project management and customer engagement.
• Experience in the supporting development and execution of advertising strategies.
• Digital and social media marketing experience desirable.