Category Specialist

As a Category Specialist you will be part of the Category Development and Shopper Marketing team, which forms part of the wider Sales function. You will report to the Category Strategy Lead working cross functionally with other departments to deliver the Coffee Category goals.

This role is responsible for delivering best in class category leadership for JDE Peet’s UK. 

Primarily, as a Category Specialist you are accountable for leading Customer range reviews and developing and implementing customer specific category plans in co-operation with the customer, National Account Manager and Sales Controller.  

This role  requires a keen and detailed ability to acquire relevant category data and apply critical thinking and data analysis to generate leading-edge actionable insights and a strong customer facing story, told in a simple and compelling way.

Delivering best in class Category Management for customers (externally focused):

External

• Own the relationship with a number of our smaller but strategic ‘Gold’ customers in the convenience and discounter channels
• Tailor the JDE Category Vision to align to your customers’ strategy to deliver long-term coffee category growth both for JDE and your customer, as identified in the Value Creation Plan and Brand Plans. Monitor the implementation and defined targets.
• Lead on going promotional analysis, identifying what to stop, start or continue in order to maximise promotional effectiveness for JDE and your customers – in collaboration with sales, category strategy / RGM and your buyer.
• Advise your Customer and sales on the distribution and assortment strategy as well as developing customer specific planograms, if required.
• Full range review support for the customer and proactively managing this conversation through-out the year.
• On-going evaluation of range, space, sales driving activity and advising both the national account manager and the customer on how they can increase sales and profit. Regular performance reports with key insights / actions
• Deliver a quarterly Coffee Market Insights deck for your customer regarding

future trends, customer competitor executions etc. and lead a bi-annual category opp / vision (including coffee education)

• Deliver the annual customer brand planning day – tailored for your customers.

Internal (for your customers only)

• Own the customer range review calendar and ensure alignment with marketing and other key stakeholders on optimum launch dates and customer shelf requirements.
• Work with category strategy and brand teams to successfully implement NPD’s and re-launches, to ensure distribution, market share and profit.
• Input to monthly commercial reviews for your customers - performance, risk and ops.
• Deliver / input the category elements of the annual customer business planning process.
• Help shape the overall convenience and discounter growth strategy – a key pillar for JDE