Head of Category

As Head of Category / Demand Accelerator Controller you will play a pivotal link between Marketing and Sales as the Go to Market execution lead combining Category Development and Shopper Activation excellence, within the Sales function. You will report directly to the Sales Director and as a key member of the SLT & work cross functionally leading the implementation of the category strategy for JDE UK.

You will lead a team of 9 accountable for the development and amplify the execution of our Brands at the point of purchase through Perfect Store initiatives, increased visibility and first class through-the-line execution aligned to our strategies in close collaboration with our Customers, Partners, Sales and Marketing teams. You will also own the strategic agenda required to create value with an Omni-channel approach. You will be responsible for establishing and sustaining strong, collaborative external relationships with senior stakeholders, to ensure JDE are seen as category and activation experts to our key retail partners.

• Work cross functionally with the Consumer Insight team to develop our category vision and customer specific category strategies, delivering long-term JDE strategic priorities to unlock growth in the category as identified in the AOP, Value Creation Plan and Brand Plans.
• Recruit, coach and develop your team to become a best-in-class GTM team, highly accountable for delivering growth for both JDE and our customers.  

Category Development

• Lead your team to co-develop, translate and promote a tailor-made category vision for key retailer partners. Monitor the implementation of this strategy and course correct as needed to achieve the defined targets, establishing JDE as the partner of choice for coffee category development.
• Build highly collaborative relationships with key Senior external stakeholders (including Customer Experience Managers) to establish JDE as a key support partner and unlock untapped opportunities with our chosen retail partners
• Design and lead Perfect Store strategy and execution, using the monthly cycle to highlight category and sales performance issues and opportunities to maximise performance.
• Lead team to successfully implement NPD and re-launches, ensuring listings are in line with corporate ambitions, channel strategy & distribution to enable growth of market share and ultimately profit.
• Ensure the voice of the customer and shopper are represented into key, senior forums ensuring all other functions are aligned to optimum plan and customer requirements. Work with marketing team to provide performance and white space insights for growth as part of the overall brand planning process.
• Ultimate owner of evaluation (range, space, sales driving activity etc.) to advise cross functionally on sales and profit growth

Shopper Marketing

• Develop an integrated Shopper Marketing strategy to deliver against key JDE objective, bringing our brands to life in a distinctive way at the point of purchase to drive shopper preference.
• Work with Marketing teams to develop and execute the annual brand activity & innovation plan, ensuring that we maximise all opportunities to drive ‘through the line’ impact and execution to support feature and ranging standout.
• Coach team to embed and deliver a best-in-class approach to shopper marketing activities; developing insight, creating effective activations, tracking the correct KPIs and evaluating activities to deliver necessary ROI, utilising digital and data insight to ensure a tight fit to the omnichannel path to purchase in tandem with the eComm teams.
• Establish robust analysis & evaluation tools for in-store activation plans to support NPD’s and marketing initiatives using customer specific data where possible. Use key insights to inform future strategy development for both the customer & JDE.

Team Leadership

• Work to develop a leading-edge Category and shopper marketing team, ensuring capability development and compelling career pathing within the function and establishing a clear high performing team that is fully engaged
• Work with the Sales Leadership Team (SLT) to develop overall functional capability and engagement, helping to ensure we build JDE as partner of choice within our customer base and representing the voice of the shopper within all relevant business performance management processes.