Category Management Lead – OTG and Impulse FTC 12 Months

Company Description

Red Bull UK is recruiting for a Category Management Lead – OTG and Impulse FTC 12 Months, to be based within the UK.

The Red Bull Category Team offers best-in-class Soft Drinks Category management – with advice to grow total BOS and FOS soft drinks, as well as specific expertise within Energy & Sports drinks. We achieve this through industry-leading insights and a constant focus on the future.

The Category Lead for OTG and Grocery leads a team of 2 Category Managers and 1 Category Specialist, with the input KPI of driving more collaboration and deeper customer relationships, and the output KPI of perfect store – with a focus on excellent main placement execution.

The Lead will ensure our business influences not just at the Buyer level but, as we develop our soft drinks expertise, they will also influence at the Buying Manager and Category Director levels within our most strategic and competitive accounts.

As well as coaching the team and driving the senior-level contact strategy, the lead will also develop and drive our long-term category strategy – with a focus both on the Category Vision and the underpinning market conditions that drive our operational environment, e.g., HFSS, DRS, Soft Drink Industry Levy.

A successful candidate will maintain and build our independent relationships with our customer partners, ultimately seeking to be a trusted part of the customer team and captain for the category.

Job Description

Meaningful Work (BIGGEST POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS)

To lead the category managers and specialists in developing best-in-class category relationships with key customers—leading to their growth in the soft drink and S&E business ahead of the market. To use shopper and sales insights to understand what is driving the category and maximise every opportunity for our key partners. To develop key category principles and plans with the Channel Managers and deploy them across the channel.

Leader and Coach of the Category Management OTG & Impulse Team

Lead and coach the OTG and Impulse Category Managers—developing both technical expertise within the team and coaching to strengths.
Deliver a pipeline of future talent for Red Bull via a comprehensive understanding of category management.

Develop, Lead, and Deliver the OTG and Impulse Category Strategy

Lead and develop OTG-specific category principles and projects with the OTG Channel Manager and deploy these across the channel.
Work with the Impulse Category Manager to build the Impulse Category Strategy.
Develop thought leadership across soft drinks and deploy it to influence key customers.

Deliver Soft Drinks Expertise

Develop soft drink expertise across existing and emerging subcategories—utilizing world-class shopper insights. Deploy these insights to drive total soft drinks category growth ahead of the market in key customers.
Constantly stay ahead of market trends.

Oversee NPD Delivery for OTG and Impulse

Lead and drive the deployment of Red Bull’s NPD pipeline in the channel—both by influencing the pipeline using channel-specific data and by overseeing the channel-specific insight-based selling story to ensure competitive levels of distribution at launch.
Work alongside the brand and strategy teams to guide NPD strategy suitable for the channel and shopper.

Deliver Multi-Tier Category Contact Strategy

Develop effective, credible relationships within strategic customers with the Buying Manager, Head of Merchandising, Category Director, and anyone else who will help to deliver the above.
All with a focus on influencing decisions that are ‘bigger than the subcategory.’

Training and Development Leadership

This role will also lead our total category management training strategy.
Work to develop a train-the-trainer approach with the field on category, alongside the Impulse Category Manager.
Work to ensure a pipeline of category talent within the business.

Qualifications

Proven experience in a category, sales, or retail function – customer facing experience desirable.

Additional Information

At Red Bull, we exist to give people wiiings. To achieve that, we recognise the value that comes from having a highly diverse workforce that has the freedom and responsibility to realise their ideas and seize opportunities. We make recruiting decisions based on experience, skills, potential and talent: everyone is welcome here.