Category Manager, Food Beauty and Care - France & Benelux

Company Description
Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Games, fashion, and toys only scratch the surface of ways we take Universal stories and characters from the screen and put them into fans' daily lives around the globe. Along with franchise brand management, UP&E's core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms. We take properties such as Jurassic World, Minions, Back to the Future, and Trolls from our creative content engines like Universal Pictures, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation partner with best-in-class category leaders (e.g. Mattel, Lego, Reebok, Microsoft, etc.) to create amazing products for our fans. UP&E is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. https://www.universalproductsexperiences.com/
UP&E is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce of the highest caliber. We are committed to fostering equitable and inclusive environments that honor the experiences, perspectives, and uniqueness of each colleague.
At UP&E EMEA, we are proud of our unique culture. We are inclusive, curious and creative; channeling a growth mindset in order to drive the commercial and develop our people. In order to achieve this culture, we live by our 3 values:

• Being Human Matters to Us
• Together We Can Achieve Anything
• We Always Keep Growing

Job Description
The Category Manager Food, Beauty and Care (FBC) France & Benelux will develop and execute long-term business strategy through leveraging the richness of NBCUniversal's entertainment content (past and present) to build a sustainable licensing business that achieves annual revenue targets.
The role will be responsible for identifying the best licensees to partner with, pitching and onboarding A-Brands and Best-in-Class Partners and DTR (Direct To Retail) to grow the business as well as negotiating agreements, driving innovative and quality product ranges, secure accurate quarterly forecasting and promoting retail sell-in of product ranges.
KEY RESPONSIBILITES
Category and Licensee Management

• Lead and develop the FBC (including promotions) business in France & Benelux with licensees and retailers.
• Develop and execute long-term growth strategies for Food, Beauty & Care categories with international FBC companies (Bel, Danone, ...).
• Identify licensing & promotion opportunities and fill market gaps considering age, segment, market, channel and franchise.
• Work on the creation of targeted presentations to pitch and unlock new business with A-Brands, Best in Class Partners and grocery channel with their private label.
• Lead contract negotiations with licensees, analyze and set business plans and ensure contract deliverables are met throughout the term.
• Accountable for day-to-day management of (key) licensees including business reviews.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends, competitors, business opportunities, threats and dynamics for category and key licensees.
• Attendance and participation in licensee/partner presentations (e.g. Business Meeting with licensees, Company partner Meetings/Showcase).
• Regular attendance of trade shows and social industry functions where applicable - e.g. Brand Licensing Europe

Finance and Business Planning

• Fiscal responsibility to include annual budget planning and quarterly/monthly if relevant revenue forecasting.
• Analyze business performance across category by licensee and retailer where applicable and develop growth objectives and strategies.

Retail Development

• Develop relationships with key buyers and decision makers across France & Benelux retailers.
• Manage and maximize the NBCU products presence with retailer marketing team (catalogue, merchandising, online & digital activation) encouraging x-categories activations.
• Explore and unlock DTR deals with specialist channels (Bakery-Pastry Epiphany, Chocolate factory, Beauty Center...).

Strategy

• Provide input and execute strategy set for the FBC category, ensuring to align with the larger franchise strategy.
• Develop product line and segmentation strategy for licensees while driving innovation and quality.
• Manage a portfolio of licensees to grow the business, critically evaluate the licensee base to ensure we have the right number as well as best partners per subcategory.

Qualifications
ABOUT YOU

• Entrepreneurial - a self-starter, who is tenacious, independent, driven and proactive.
• Global & holistic thinker - understand the wider context.
• Results driven - own the numbers, be invested and be hungry to grow the business.
• Resilient - not afraid to fail, getting back up and keep putting in the effort
• Confident being self - brings full personality and interests to work.
• Light-hearted - a sense of humour, dealing patiently with frustrations.
• Passionate - energetic, engaged, positive and desiring to make a difference.
• Adaptable, agile & flexible - able to pivot quickly, adapt strategies and deal with change.
• Good communicator - honest, transparent, and flexible depending on the audience. The ability to influence stakeholders.
• Willing to get stuck in - hard worker, who is not rigid with the ability to prioritise, manage own time and respond quickly and efficiently.
• Sociable - actively develops relationships, making time to get to know people. Easy-going and fun.
• Team player.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• FMCG background in either buying, sales or business development (retail or industry).
• A passion for FBC and ideally in-depth knowledge in either Food, or Beauty and Care.
• Strong understanding of the French, Belgium and Dutch markets from a cultural, commercial, retail and brand and property positioning.
• In possession of ability to build a strong network and robust contacts to marketing leaders at FBC A-Brands and retailers.
• Relationship builder.
• Strong understanding of brand and property positioning, retail business development, retail distribution and the retail environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong sales and negotiation skills.
• Able to work in a matrix organization.
• A brand builder and commercial thinker.
• Proven track record of hitting targets and delivering growth.
• Fluent in French and English, Dutch a plus.

Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].