Category Manager

About us

DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. We play a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials. Through our purpose of 'Redefining Packaging for a Changing World' and our Now and Next sustainability strategy, we are committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for our customers and wider society - replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains, and providing innovative recycling solutions.

About the role

We have a fabulous opportunity for a pro-active and driven individual to join as a Category Manager for the Northern European Marketing and Innovation Team. The Category Manager is adept at driving clarity amidst data ambiguity, ensuring precise communication of priorities and strategy objectives. This would be a perfect opportunity for an ambitious, data savvy and customer focused individual to come and be part of this amazing team!

The role of our Category Manager is to be a strong strategic partner to our Sales team, driving growth by acquiring a deep understanding of the local and regional market segments and presenting opportunities, underlining a solid understanding and analysis of current trends and insights. You will work collaboratively with cross functional squads (such as our innovation, Retail & Marketing Teams) to review strategic options and analytics to support your decisions.

Your remit will include but not limited to:

• Segment Insight and reviews - using internal resources and external data sources
• Partnering with the Sales team to ensure we are providing accurate data to our customers in line with their growth strategy
• Supporting the Sales Team with new customer pitches as needed
• Market updates - conducting competitor analysis as required
• Work with the Marketing team, providing analytics to support the marketing plan
• Responsible for stakeholder management, aligning everybody around the product vision, business goals and objectives.

This is a unique role within DS Smith, as it stretches from the traditional retail category management to the innovation (by evaluating existing product offerings within the segment, identifying gaps, improvements, and innovation opportunities) and event driving improvement of the B2B marketing communication (by contributing to defining and deploying communication strategies across different markets).

So, if you have experience within a category management role, have the ability to process data and analytics and be able to present them in a user-friendly way and are eager for a new challenge - then we might be looking for you!

About you

• Demonstrable experience of working within a Marketing/Category Management/ Data & Insights role within a FMCG business
• Experience of Databases such as Kantar, Neilson, Euromonitor - highly desirable
• An excellent relationship builder and communicator at all seniorities, collaborative, able to present complex data in palatable way
• Able to link analytical data to business performance, identifying issues and underlying drivers to drive future performance
• Knowledge of our materials, products, innovation processes - desirable
• MS Office skills - advanced (esp. excel)
• Strong project management skills
• Strong written and spoken communication skills
• Tenacious, pragmatic, task orientated, completer finisher, resilient, bringing clarity and alignment where there is ambiguity

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Sharesave scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Discounts
• Cycle to work scheme

Location: This is a full time, home-based role with some travel to sites and customers as needed.