Assistant Channel & Category Development Manager at Unilever

Your Key Task

The Channel & Category Development Assistant Manager reports directly to the Channel & Category Development Manager.  This is a key strategic role.  The strategic element is to translate marketing (category) plans into channel or customer plans. They are key to bringing internal strategies or objectives into the external environment. They are also responsible for feeding back external elements into the internal environment. They also represent Customer Development related Net Revenue Management projects.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop category strategic plan through IBP (integrated business plan) – CCD integral part of brand community; provides customer, channel lens to brand JTBD; input into innovation / renovation business cases (e.g. pack size by channel, pricing, distribution & trade margins)
• Develop Channel strategies incl. new (ecommerce, omni-channel) and traditional channels (e.g. TT Food, Drug, etc.) by geography to win in-store/ online.
• CCD responsible to develop the Internal Category Business Plan that helps shape the CFCS (customer facing category strategy) part of the IBP Process
• Represent Customer Development and lead for trade feedback into CCBT and translation/brief into CD community of strategic plans on ongoing basis.
• Input into holistic shaping of customer / channel investment
• Responsible for building and executing NRM projects (Decision on Levers 3-5) & trade investments for category/ channel
• Lead consolidated CD input into S&OP (+3 months out)
• Ownership of TTS at category level – in line with agreed category frameworks set during IBP process
• Trade Category Management also forms part of this role and would therefore include the following key deliverables:
• building compelling category growth plans that are Objective and Shopper led, unlocks Sustainability within the Category, deliver long term Growth & Profit for Unilever & its Customers
• Assists with completing category reviews for key customers leveraging various data platforms including customer specific tools (Dunnhumby, Shoppercentre, Insights etc) that lead to actionable insights for the customer including 1) Range optimisation/assortment strategies 2) Planogram optimisation & strategies 3) Recommendations on promotional tactics as informed by the data 4) score carding & tracking against key decisions made 5) NPD recommendations
• Assists with supporting internal business processes including 1) Ensuring all NPD has a good fit with category strategy and a compelling category rationale 2) Collaborating with CCD in making channel range assortment recommendations 3) Creating shelf recommendations for all channels to be executed through “Perfect Store” program 
• Assists with localisation of the Customer Facing Category strategy (adaptation and optimisation of global CFCS for local relevance) as key input of the integrated business planning processes
• Assists with supporting Account directors with Trading terms negotiations and agreements as relating to assortment & shelf layout including  1) analyses of current planograms 2) identifying areas for improvement 3) tracking of execution against agreed trading term counterparts

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 2 years experience in Marketing or Sales in FMCG industry
• B.Comm degree (preferably in Marketing, Financial majors)
• Strong excel skills
• Strong demonstrated insight & analytical skills
• Previous experience using Nielsen, PowerBI or customer platforms like Dunnhumby or PnP info hub) would be very favourable