Category Strategy Manager (Senior level)

1. Category Strategy, Commercialization & Growth Leadership

Category Vision & Growth Strategy

- Develop Annual and Long-Term Category Strategy for CSD/ED/Hydration based on: Brand strategies and JTBDs, Consumer and shopper insights, Category, channel and competitive dynamics, Macro-economic and regulatory developments

- Define category growth priorities, growth drivers, risks and opportunities across categories, channels, occasions and geographies.

- Identify whitespace opportunities and recommend strategic growth initiatives to accelerate penetration, frequency, volume and value growth.

- Lead category investment priorities and strategic resource allocation principles across channels and growth platforms.

Shopper, Occasion & Channel Strategy

- Translate consumer and shopper insights into actionable category growth strategies and channel priorities.

- Define category roles by occasion, channel and customer mission.

- Partner with Channel Strategy to recommend channel-specific growth levers, shopper engagement approaches and category expansion opportunities.

- Build category growth playbooks and strategic recommendations to support annual planning and commercial deployment.

Commercial Deployment Frameworks

- Lead the development of category deployment frameworks for: Category initiatives, Thematic campaigns, Innovation launches, Commercial priorities

- Define strategic deployment principles including: PICOS recommendations, Visibility strategy, Assortment principles, Penetration ambitions, Success KPIs

- Provide strategic guidance and recommendations to TMKT, Customer Marketing and CD teams for execution planning and deployment.

- Ensure all deployment frameworks are aligned with category strategy and shopper objectives.

Category Performance Management & PDCA

- Lead monthly and quarterly category diagnosis using: Market performance, Share trends, Distribution indicators, Shopper and channel trends, Competitive activities

- Evaluate effectiveness of category strategies, commercial initiatives and investment deployment.

- Identify risks, opportunities and performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions through PMR and ComEx review forums.

- Provide category and business insights to support AOP, MTP and commercial decision-making.

Innovation Commercialization (NPD & PPA)

- Partner with Marketing, Channel Strategy and RGM to lead commercialization readiness throughout the innovation process.

Stage Gate 1

- Define category size of prize and source of growth.

- Assess shopper, channel and category opportunities.

- Provide commercial feasibility assessment and market opportunity recommendations.

Stage Gate 2

- Lead commercialization strategy development.

- Recommend launch assumptions, deployment frameworks and KPIs.

- Define channel priorities and growth expectations.

- Partner with Channel Strategy and RGM on PICOS, channel roles and pricing architecture.

Stage Gate 3

- Validate commercialization readiness.

- Align launch success metrics and deployment principles.

- Ensure category strategy and deployment frameworks are incorporated into launch plans.

Post Launch Evaluation

- Lead post-launch evaluation and learning reviews.

- Assess performance versus launch assumptions and KPIs.

- Identify lessons learned, scale-up opportunities and future innovation recommendations.

2. Joint Business Planning & Customer Development Support

- Partner with Channel Strategy and Commercial Development teams to support category-led customer growth plans.

- Contribute category, shopper and channel insights to Top-to-Top engagements, Joint Business Planning (JBP) and Customer Development Agreements (CDA).

- Develop category growth opportunities and recommendations for priority customers aligned with: Customer strategies, Shopper insights, Channel priorities, Brand growth strategies

- Support the creation of category growth narratives that strengthen strategic customer partnerships and unlock mutual value creation.

- Provide category recommendations and customer-specific opportunities to improve category growth, shopper engagement and commercial effectiveness.

3. Cross-Functional Category Leadership & Business Partnership

Strategic Partnership Across Commercial Excellence

- Partner with Channel Strategy, Business Insight and Shopper Insight teams to identify category growth opportunities, portfolio expansion opportunities and shopper-led growth drivers.

- Co-develop category, channel and customer growth strategies by integrating consumer, shopper, channel and market insights.

- Collaborate with Channel Strategy to define category priorities by channel, customer mission, assortment, visibility and PICOS frameworks.

Revenue Growth Management Partnership

- Partner with RGM to develop category growth recommendations covering: Price-Pack Architecture, Pricing strategy, Promotion principles and guardrails, Mix optimization, Value realization opportunities

- Ensure category strategies are aligned with profitability objectives while driving sustainable volume and value growth.

- Support evaluation of category performance, investment effectiveness and value creation opportunities across channels.

Marketing Partnership

- Act as the commercial strategy partner for Marketing throughout annual planning, innovation development and commercialization processes.

- Translate brand growth strategies into category growth opportunities and commercial deployment frameworks.

- Provide category, shopper and channel perspectives to strengthen marketing initiatives, brand plans and investment decisions.

- Collaborate with Marketing to identify future category opportunities, whitespace platforms and emerging demand spaces.

Innovation Commercialization Partnership

- Lead cross-functional commercialization planning for NPD, PPA and strategic category initiatives in collaboration with Marketing, RGM, Channel Strategy and Commercial Development.

- Ensure category, shopper, channel and commercial considerations are integrated throughout the Innovation Stage Gate and ICM processes.

- Facilitate alignment of commercialization assumptions, deployment frameworks, success KPIs and learning plans across stakeholders.

- Lead Post-Launch Evaluation and capture learning agendas to improve future innovation effectiveness and speed-to-market.

4. Organization & Capability Contribution

- Contribute to the continuous improvement of Commercial Excellence capabilities, processes, frameworks and ways of working.

- Champion category-led, shopper-centric and insight-driven decision making across the organization.

- Support capability building and knowledge sharing in category strategy, commercialization and category growth management.

- Participate in strategic projects, transformation initiatives and business improvement programs as assigned.

- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Line Manager.

Requirement

• University graduation in economics or relevant disciplines
• At least 5 years of work experience in Sales/ Marketing/ Trade Marketing, FMCG
• Good understanding of MKT, Trade and RTM process.
• Good communication and influencing skills.
• Proactive and result-oriented.
• Proficient English