Senior Category Manager

Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you.

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to bepurpose-led,resilient andpositive to succeed here because we expect pace andagility, we insist oncollaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact

Click “Apply” to get started.

Our story

Family and ideas have always been our ingredients. Our founding families believed biscuits and chocolates could bring moments of happiness to the world. Their ideas have stood the test of time. Their spirit continues to inspire our future. It’sin the care and the craft we bake into biscuits and chocolates that have been loved for generations. And it’sin the fresh ideas, the new twists, flavoursand textures we add to old and new favourites.

Our 16,000 colleaguesacross our global network of bakers, distribution sitesand offices each with their own unique, diverse experience.To bring happiness with every bite.

If you’rea part of the pladisteam,you know what it means to bring it.Whether it’sor resilience, team spiritor go-getting attitude. Our courage and compassion. Our ownership. Our whole selves. We Bring it. Day in, day out.

Inspired by you

Our founders didn’tfollow rules and recipes, they created them. We’relooking for fresh thinkers to help us create the next chapter for pladis.

pladissucceeds because of people like you. People who wake up in the morning excited to get to work. Who believein themselves and their potential.Who wantto grow as part of a global community of like-minded colleagues!Because growth is our oxygen and our fuel. And it’sour deep and abidingbelief that growth comes from working together, helping each other out, always passionate about our purpose to bring happiness with every bite.

Our Purpose

Bring happiness with every bite!

It’sa purpose that every one of our colleagues, all around the world believes in. And while we’reall unique, we also share the same values.

Each of our values is important on its own. In combination they’reincredibly powerful.

Our values have deep personal meaning to us. They’repart of who we are and what we stand for as an employer.

Living our pladisvalues is a key part of success, look out for questions in your interview that link to these key pladisvalues.

Role Title: Senior Category Manager- Cake

Hiring Manager: Head of Commercial - Cake

TheCake Business Unitis a newand dedicated team with theambition to transform pladisfootprint in the cake category. The role of the Senior Category Manager, Cakeiskey to deliver our ambition, andwill partner with our top 4 grocery customers to drive thesales of the Cake Category. This will be done through the provision of industry-leading shopper, retailerand market insightsto enable robust decision making on category initiatives, product ranges, merchandising, business planningand promotions.

This is a crucial customer-facing role to achieve Category Leadership.

What will this role achieve?

Reporting into the Head of Commercial, Cake, the Senior Category Manager will inspire and influence their customers to implement growth driving category initiatives. By developing proximity and partnership with Grocery buyers and planners, they will thrive to establish pladisas the go-to category partner of choice, optimising Cakerange, distribution, space, location, promotionsand availability.

What will be your key deliverables?

• Customer Relationships: Build and expand ourongoing relationship with the Top4retailers, broadening our engagement and becoming the go-to person for category advice & range reviews. This will include adetailed understanding of key decision-makers, customer strategy and goals to implement a successful contact strategy. The Senior Category Manager, Cake will work within their customers timeline and commercial calendar to identifyand unlock category opportunities

• Category Growth Plans: The Senior Category Manager, Cake will partner with the Cake Business Unit leadership team to develop our Cake category plans. These planswill balance short-term returns will long-term initiatives and will be tailored by customer and will be brought to life is a simple and engaging way.

• Category Fundamentals: This role will develop and implement initiatives to improverange, distribution, location, availability, promotionsand space (Macro, primary and secondary) for Cake, whilst making the category easier and more enjoyable to shop.Participation to the top 4 range reviews will be a must, to maximise ranging window opportunitiesand track progress v agreed metrics.

• Analysis and Reporting: The Senior Category Manager, Cake will objectively evaluate Category performanceand our customers risks or opportunities, and proactively communicaterecommendation to key stakeholders, internally and externally. Data will be turned into insights to improve customers and pladis’ performance.

Key measures:

• Participation to top 4 range reviews

• Receptiveness from decision makers to implement category initiatives

• Listing, distributionand space gains.

• Agreed specific Category Plan metrics

• AGS Score for category and for “Delivering Insights”

Bring your experience.

• Robust Category Management experience gained in a FMCG manufacturing organisation.

• Proven understanding of category management principles and execution,with previousparticipation to annual range reviews.

• Story teller, with ability to turn complex data sets into insights clear narrative, to communicaterecommendations in a compelling way.

• Comfortable with data, with broad numerical & analytical experience.

• Strong communication, presentation & influencing skills with a proven record of delivery

• Good relationship building skills with partners

• Some knowledge of; space planning, insights tools and data sets spanning but not limited to JDA, Nielsen, Kantar, Dunnhumby

• Ability to use Microsoft Office products

Our Values

Purpose led-We’reenergised and guided by our purpose to bring happiness with every bite

Agile-We’reever evolving, we never stand still, always improving for our customers and our consumers.

Positive-We’rehighly motivated optimistic, courageous, and we inspire each other to be better

Resilient-We’repersistent in the face of setbacks, quick to adapt, learnand move forward

Collaborative-We gain strength from operatingas one pladis, winning and succeeding together

Best mix of ingredients

pladisis an equal opportunities employer, like every great recipe we’rea thoughtful mix. A happy and inclusive place to work that’sas diverse as our consumers and the communities we support, live and work in, all around the world. Where every voice is heard, and difference is celebrated. Where fresh perspectives and new ideashelp us grow and thrive.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participatein the job application or interview process, to perform key job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

pladis is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List. If you are a recruitment agency and wish to submit candidate to be considered for this vacancy, you must have agreed to, and signed, our terms of business.

We will not accept CVs from any other sources other than those currently on our PSL. We will not pay a fee for any candidate that has not been represented by a provider on our PSL.