Channel and Category Development Manager, ESA at Flora Food Group

Why this role matters

• In your first year as Channel and Category Development Manager- East and Southern Africa (ESA), you will drive increased brand penetration and profitable sales volumes across assigned channels. Your work will ensure that trade marketing efforts are efficient and effective, unlocking growth opportunities that align with Flora Food Group’s commitment to better food. This role is vital now as we strengthen our presence in East and Southern Africa (ESA), connecting our iconic plant-based brands with consumers and customers in ways that meet their evolving needs and preferences.
• Your insights and plans will directly influence how our products reach kitchens and dining tables, supporting healthier and more sustainable food choices.

What you'll do

• Lead the development of trade category plans for assigned channels, translating customer and shopper insights into actionable business opportunities.
• Build and align account-specific trade plans with overall category objectives to maximize brand impact and sales growth.
• Prepare monthly rolling forecasts and promotion sell-out volumes, using market intelligence to inform decisions.
• Collaborate with marketing to support product launches, promotions, and in-store activations, ensuring clear communication and effective execution.
• Manage trade and shopper promotions from proposal through to evaluation, ensuring on-time delivery and return on investment.

Performance

• You will own the delivery of trade marketing plans that increase brand penetration and profitable sales volumes. Your data-driven approach will ensure trade spend is allocated efficiently, maximizing return on investment. By identifying risks and opportunities through close collaboration with sales, you will help the business respond with agility to market changes and competitor activity, driving measurable growth in East Africa.

Care

• Reporting to the Head of Sales - East Africa, you will work closely with cross-functional teams including Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain. Your role requires responsible leadership to balance short-term results with long-term brand health and sustainability. You will foster collaboration across teams to ensure trade plans are executed with integrity and care for our consumers, customers, and communities.

Passion

• You are passionate about food and the role it plays in people’s lives. You bring curiosity about consumer behaviour and market trends, using this to innovate how our plant-based products are presented and promoted. Your enthusiasm for taste, nutrition, and functionality drives you to raise the bar in trade marketing, ensuring our brands deliver on their promise of better food that is both delicious and good for the planet.

About you

• You bring strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience in sales planning and trade marketing within the fast-moving consumer goods industry. You are skilled at analysing complex data and translating it into clear, actionable strategies. Your ability to influence and align diverse teams ensures smooth execution of plans. You thrive in a role where agility and problem-solving are key, and you take pride in delivering projects on time and in full.
• You are genuinely interested in food culture and curious about how consumer behaviour and future food trends shape innovation. You understand that strong brands are built by anticipating what’s next in taste, nutrition and functionality, and by translating insight into meaningful consumer experiences.