Customer Category Manager 6-12 month FTC

Company Description

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company. 

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Albans. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.  
Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?!  We knead people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact. 

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences. 

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals. 

About the Role

We are looking for a Customer Category Manager to join the team here at FBC UK on a 6-12 month fixed term contract.

You will be responsible for leading category strategies and plans within specified accounts ensuring a proactive approach owning the consumer agenda with relevant Retailers as their preferred supplier for proposed category opportunities. 

Main Responsibilities

• Create category strategies and plans based on clear category and consumer insight and gain buy into these from internal stakeholders and the customer.
• Ensure that promotional and pricing strategies are being managed effectively, whilst maximising the category product mix through regular Retailer engagement on a monthly/quarterly basis. 
• Secure NPD, ranging and merchandising opportunities.
• Improve category performance understanding through full utilisation of available data sources.
• Share insights with Retailers and colleagues to ensure we are informed to the best of our ability to make effective decisions. Insight and reporting will be driven from weekly EPOS where relevant along with 4 weekly market data sources
• Proactively manage Retailer relationships in leading category meetings, delivering impactful presentations and effective management of projects.
• Develop and grow a broad network of stakeholder contacts within specified accounts.
• Communicating effectively with colleagues on project progress and gain their buy in and commitment to supporting with deliverables as required.

Who we are looking for

Must Haves:

• Ability to create a strategy for the Impulse and Wholesale channel to opportunities for FBC
• Strong analytical ability, you will need be / become competent at using all the data systems required (Nielsen, Kantar WPO, Customer loyalty card e.g. Dunnhumby).
• Experienced in conducting the range review process with big retailers.
• Can present insights from data simply and clearly, with actionable recommendations
  in a customer-ready format   

Nice to have:

• Experience of Impulse accounts / Wholesale / Cash & Carry.
• Can create relevant and insightful storytelling to bring opportunities to life and energise customers and the business behind plans, through using strong communication methods.
• Relationship-building, Influencing and stakeholder management skills: customer and internal Organised and able to balance internal and external priorities
• Entrepreneurial and curious – sees opportunities and acts on them
• One team cross-functional approach
• Strong commercial head – understands wider business context.

Diversity Statement

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.