Title: Category Development Manager (G7)
Location: Redhill, Surrey (Hybrid working – 2 days working from home per week)
Summary: Deliver insight-led category recommendations and execute customer-facing category plans across cheese & wider dairy categories; supporting the development of category strategies. Translate them into actionable range, space and in-store recommendations. Work closely with Commercial, Marketing, RGM & Innovation to build compelling category stories, support range reviews & new product launches helping to drive measurable commercial outcomes with key retail customers.
Reporting Line: Senior Category Manager
Direct Reports: None
Key Responsibilities
Category Development & Commercial Leadership
- Support the development and delivery of category strategies for selected retailers by owning defined workstreams, analysis and outputs aligned to Lactalis UK’s commercial plan.
- Translate market, shopper and customer insight into clear category, ranging and space recommendations that improve performance and support sustainable growth.
- Develop strong category knowledge across cheese and relevant dairy categories, using insight to support internal decision-making and deliver credible recommendations to customers.
- Support the category commercial agenda across range optimisation, distribution, space and NPD, partnering with RGM to inform pricing, promotion and trade investment recommendations across branded and own label portfolios.
Customer & Stakeholder Influence
- Support the customer category agenda by developing and delivering evidence-based category rationales, insights and recommendations to customer stakeholders.
- Prepare analysis and recommendations for listings, relisting & range reviews, ensuring proposals are insight-led, robust & commercially sound.
- Work cross-functionally with Commercial, Marketing, RGM & Innovation to embed category recommendations into customer plans and support delivery through the plan cycle.
- Communicate recommendations clearly through strong storytelling and insight, tailoring messages to different stakeholders and escalating risks and opportunities as needed.
Integrated Business Planning & Delivery
- Support category inputs into the Integrated Business Planning process, including demand assumptions, risks, opportunities, and scenario analysis in line with the annual budget.
- Deliver agreed category initiatives and actions that support volume, net sales and contribution targets for owned sub-categories, tracking performance and highlighting corrective actions.
- Ensure category insight and thinking inform brand planning, portfolio prioritisation and account planning processes.
Capability & Team Contribution
- Build personal capability in category management by seeking feedback, adopting best practice tools and continuously improving the quality of analysis and recommendations.
- Contribute to the Sales Strategy & Development team by sharing learnings, supporting peers and maintaining high standards in insight, data accuracy & executional delivery.
Key Performance Indicators
- Strategic delivery of Cheese Category Strategy with selected customers
- Improvement in customer perception of Lactalis as a category growth leader and trusted partner
- Delivery of volume, net sales and contribution targets for owned subcategories
- Successful delivery of NPD distribution and ranging objectives
- Quality and robustness of category inputs into the IBP process
Essential Skills, Experience & Knowledge
- Category Development experience in the UK grocery market or a similarly developed retail environment
- Ability to influence customer and internal stakeholders through insight-led, evidence-based recommendations
- Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate data into commercial action
- Good understanding of shopper, category and customer dynamics
- Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to create clear, compelling narratives internally and externally
Desirable Experience
- Experience leading category relationships with Top 5 grocery retailers or Co-op
- Working knowledge of retailer insight platforms such as Dunnhumby & Nectar
The job description is intended to reflect the broad responsibilities of the role. While not exhaustive, variations will be consistent with the seniority and expectations of a G7 position.
If you are interested in applying for this position please forward your CV along with your salary expectations, right to work information and notice period to: careers@lactalis.co.uk
Please be advised that we can only accept applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK