Junior Category Manager at RCL Foods

• RCL Foods entrusts the Junior Category Manager to support the Category Manager in his / her role. Administer and manage small projects, analytics, and Go-To-Market initiatives to achieve category volume and profit objectives, as assigned. Assist in gathering, compiling, and analysing customer, category, shopper, and channel performance, trends, and competitive intelligence. Engage with key internal stakeholders to ensure execution excellence through all key Demand Functions. 

Minimum Requirements    

• B.Com, Business and or Marketing-related degree or equivalent qualification.
• Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience in a related FMCG environment.
• Computer literacy with excellent Excel skills and Formal presentation skills

Knowledge:

Marketing management principles and practices

• Market research methodologies
• Category management principles
• Consumer behaviour
• Financial acumen
• Business processes

Duties & Responsibilities    

Information Analysis, Management and Reporting:

• To analyse and interpret key data (market & customer) to provide feedback on category performance.
• Assist in the production of reports, data, presentations, and any other items deemed necessary to support the customer marketing function.
• Coordination and consolidation of multi-channel audits to track compliance and track competitor activity.
• Support the Category Managers in preparation of Customer Reviews, to explain performance and identify growth dynamics.

Go to Market:

• Assist Category Manager to develop and deliver new product launch plans in the trade, with required analysis.
• Conduct ranging exercises to support new product launches.
• Support the Category Manager in the preparation of Category Stories and Trade Presentations.
• Assist in the review of NPD listings, sales vs forecasts, and distribution.

Category Planning:

• Assist the Category Manager to develop and provide category-level insights into the Brand Plans, Trade Category Plans & Customer Plans process.
• Develop proposals and recommendations to improve category management in trade.
• Liaise with the operations team to ensure smooth implementation.

Financial Management:

• Support the management of Channel Marketing budgets within agreed limits and ensure that all initiatives are shown to be commercially sound.
• Assist Category Manager in executing NRM Program, as per business agreed targets.
• Understand key drivers of profitability and revenue growth, assisting in the achievement of financial targets, including maximizing promo efficiency, and profitability, and identifying business opportunities to further drive revenue growth.

Customer Relationship Management:

• Ensure that critical customer information is available to the Customer team as required.
• Support the Category Manager in identifying customer specific initiatives to drive RCL and category growth, ensuring effective implementation with the identified customers.
• Support in preparation of regular Customer Reviews in order to explain performance shortfalls and identify growth dynamics.  Monitor category, competitor, and brand activation levels by account, evaluate ROI and strategic alignment, and identify correlations with performance.

Category Management:

• Conduct periodic reviews of planograms and ranging to ensure maximised shelf efficiency.
• Communicate with all account management and sales operations on any implementation initiatives to ensure smooth operation execution.
• Analyse shelf health, pricing data, product availability (DOD), category insights, and planograms (perfect store).