Category Manager

About the role  

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the UK & Ireland Marketing team at DS Smith as a Category Manager. This is a highly visible role, responsible for leading the development of our growth agenda across priority segments.  

You will help lead the Annual Business Planning process for UK&I through profit pool mapping, category strategy development, growth roadmaps, and market opportunity assessments. Working closely with Sales, the wider Marketing team and Innovation teams, you will combine external market, customer and category insights with internal business intelligence to identify growth opportunities, shape strategic priorities and build targeted customer growth partnerships. You will also develop differentiated value propositions for key segments and customers, clearly articulating DS Smith's unique value and competitive advantage. Working with the broader Marketing team, you will help shape segment- and account-specific communication plans, providing ongoing category expertise, actionable insights and strategic support to commercial teams across the region to drive customer engagement and business growth. 

By developing a deep understanding of market dynamics, industry trends, shopper behavior, and retail developments, you will translate insights into actionable strategies and initiatives. This includes leading competitor benchmarking, market mapping, customer prioritisation and share-of-wallet analysis to identify and size growth opportunities that drive sales growth, enhance value performance across focus categories, and create competitive advantage for both DS Smith and our customers. Partnering closely with Sales teams, you will strengthen our position as a trusted packaging and category expert, helping customers navigate evolving market demands while delivering sustainable business growth. You will also support customer engagement through the development of compelling customer presentations, pitches, and growth-focused proposals. 

You will play a key role in shaping the innovation agenda, assessing the competitive landscape and our existing product portfolio to identify gaps, growth opportunities, and innovation priorities. You will lead category innovation exploration to address unmet customer needs and pain points, identify emerging packaging and sustainability opportunities, and evaluate the size and commercial potential of opportunities within the market. Working closely with customers, Sales and Innovation teams, you will ensure market and customer insights are translated into actionable commercial and innovation strategies. 

This role also involves monitoring sustainability, circular economy and regulatory developments, including PPWR, EUDR and Digital Product Passport requirements, working closely with the Sustainability Manager to translate market and legislative changes into customer opportunities. 

To succeed, you will be a strong collaborator and influencer, capable of engaging stakeholders at all levels across a matrix organisation. You will bring experience in category management, strategic marketing, customer insight, combined with a passion for innovation and growth. Experience leading business planning, category planning or strategic account planning processes, and translating market insights into actionable commercial strategies, would be highly advantageous 

If you are commercially minded, insight-driven and passionate about turning market trends into growth opportunities, we'd love to hear from you. 

About you   

• Demonstrable Marketing, Category Management, ideally within a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or B2B company 

• ​High familiarity with major market research databases and data sources such as Euromonitor, Mintel, IGD, or Kantar/Nielsen 

• ​Proven ability to link deep analytical research to business performance, driving actionable plans that translate complex consumer and retail trends into clear profit metrics 

• ​Exceptional presentation and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative mindset to confidently guide matrix contacts and establish strong customer partnerships 

• ​Strong organisational capability, acting as an outcome-focused self-starter who can effectively prioritise projects, judge business risks, and manage pre-defined budget targets 

• ​Advanced Microsoft Office skills (especially Excel); a strong curiosity and foundational interest in consumer behaviour, manufacturing supply chains, and fast-changing sales channels (e-commerce, retail marketing) 

Benefits 

• Competitive salary 

• Discretionary bonus 

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays 

• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection 

• Employee Assistance Programme 

• Employee Discounts 

• Cycle to work scheme 

Location: This is a home-based role, with the need to travel to our site network across the UK&I and attend client meetings as required. 

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us! 

Fair recruitment at DS Smith 

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.  

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria 

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