Role: Category Manager
Salary: £45,000 - £50,000
Location: Lacock, Wiltshire
Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week
We are seeking a Category Manager to join our Head Office team based in Lacock, Wiltshire. As our Category Manager, you will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between internal teams and retail partners, for both brand and own label products. The primary objective is to grow both Stonegate Farmers' and customers' sales, profit, and market share by implementing strategic initiatives informed by financial data, category analysis, and consumer insights. This role ensures that category performance aligns with business objectives and capitalises on market opportunities, strengthening relationships with retail partners and driving mutual success.
About Stonegate Farmers Ltd
Stonegate Farmers Ltd is an integrated free range and organic egg business organised across three divisions comprising farming and agriculture, egg packing and cooked egg processing. Established in 1926 and under new ownership since 2016, we have grown into one of the largest free-range and organic egg producers within the UK. Moving millions of mother nature's most fragile food items every day takes finesse and know how. We work closely with our producers to collect, grade and package each individual egg. We deliver daily from hen houses right across the country to the most exclusive restaurants and to many of the UK's leading supermarkets, together with first class egg products to some of the biggest names in food manufacturing.
So many fresh eggs require fresh thinking therefore we only employ the most enthusiastic people for our operations, who have hearts of gold - just like our eggs!
Role & Responsibilities:
1. Serve as the primary category lead for key strategic customers, guiding the partnership with tailored strategies and actionable insights.
2. Manage own brand innovation ranges and identify customer-specific opportunities.
3. Be the custodian of consumer needs, ensuring shopper behaviours and preferences shape category development and decision-making.
4. Utilise financial, category, and consumer data to create compelling, insight-led recommendations for range reviews, promotions, and innovation.
5. Collaborate internally across sales, marketing, and supply chain teams to ensure seamless execution of strategies.
6. Strengthen and evolve partnerships with strategic customers, positioning Stonegate Farmers as a trusted advisor and thought leader.
7. Track category performance metrics, providing regular updates and actionable insights to both internal stakeholders and the customer.
8. Maximise ROI and deliver KPIs for site-based business teams.
9. Drive best-in-class ways of working within the commercial team.
Person Specification:
1. Able to display our company values: Respect, Aspire, Courage, One Team, Diversity.
2. Proactive in approach.
3. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven track record of building strong partnerships with retail customers.
4. Strong grasp of financial metrics and market dynamics, ensuring profitability and alignment with customer goals.
5. Excellent organisation, presentation and project management skills.
6. Strong stakeholder management skills.
Qualifications / Experience:
1. Degree or equivalent, within business or marketing.
2. Minimum of 3 years' experience within Category Management.
3. Experience in analysing and leveraging data to deliver true insight that drives effective recommendations and action.
4. Proven success in implementing category initiatives with retailers.
5. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (particularly PowerPoint & Excel).
6. Experience using Kantar MyWorld Panel, Dunnhumby, Nectar 360 (Sainsbury's Insight Platform), Assosia and Vypr (preferred).
7. Experience working on “Own Label” products (preferred).
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