Title:  Category Development Manager

We Go Places! How about you?
Immediate Superior: Channel Lead - Off Trade
Job Grade: 20
Location: Gauteng 

Type of Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: Friday 25 October 2024

Purpose of the Position

The purpose of the Category Development Manager is the planning and implementation of Category development market activities with customers in Modern Off Trade (Retail) channel. Key objective of the role is to unlock strong growth of market share and revenue via strategizing, planning and implementing multi-category shopper engagements at customer and store level through accelerating all alcohol beverage category growth drivers. In that journey it is crucial to have strong market, category and shopper insights as the basis for all planned initiatives

KEY RESULT AREAS

• Monitor and review business performance of Brands within Category, identify and propose Category Manager corrective actions where required.                                                    
• Contribute to development of shopper portrait and shopper engagement funnel for brand. Develops an in-depth understanding at a Category and Brand level of shopper behaviour, identifies consumer and shopper insights and acquires understanding of competitive environment and their implications on the business.
• Maximize in store category management opportunities per channel through planogram development.
• Engage with Key Account Category teams to align Category Development plans through JBP processes
• Develop and maintain relationships with key customers to understand their needs and preferences, and to develop customized space plans that meet those needs.
• Develop and implement space plans that are in line with category strategies and which maximizes sales and profitability.
• Provide reporting to help with assortment, inventory, and merchandising decisions.
• Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer needs and preferences, and to develop customized space plans for individual customers.
• Continuously monitor sales data and market trends to adjust space plans as necessary.
• Provide competitive data, insights, and presentation formats for use in successfully selling, placing in schematics, and completing follow up analysis on new product incrementality.
• Update and maintain space planning tracking reports monthly to ensure accuracy.
• Maintain the space planning database by accurately reflecting all changes made to account sets in space planning software.
• Contribute to the overall merchandising of products per store by creating planograms based on assortment plans and seasonal sets.
• Upskilling of Sales Teams and 3rd Party merchandise teams on Shopper Insights, Space Management, Range assortment
• Management of Permanent Visibility project from end to end. Design, production, installation, maintenance, budgeting. Effective supplier management is critical
• Follow Heineken Beverages policies and procedures and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular audits of product placement to ensure that plans are being executed effectively and that products are being displayed in accordance with the planogram.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in marketing, business management or related field.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• A Minimum of 5 years’ experience in Trade Marketing and Sales in cross functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of planogram development.
• Experience in the alcoholic beverages industry is a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Ability to analyze sales data, consumer trends, and market research to develop effective product placement plans.
• Be proficient on the DotActiv Space planning module and data sources such as True Data
• Team player and contributes support and quality input for the overall growth of the team.

The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply. HEINEKEN Beverages is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates and values inclusion and diversity.