Category Management Lead: Modern Trade - Cape Town HQ at PepsiCo

What we’re looking for:

Core Commercial Goals:

• To co-create and execute customer & shopper centric solutions for the MT channel and customers for the entire PepsiCo portfolio (Snacks, Beverages, Cereals, Condiments, Grains, Bread) which will enable growth acceleration for  PepsiCo, winning versus competion and be seen as a trusted advisior by customers as per Advantage Monitor (TAG) priorities.
• To create and enable implementation of toolkits for key strategic priorities, namely Category Visions, EDGE shopper principles, Category Development Fund (CDF), data and digitization.
• Overall, the role will enable the elevation of standards from ‘foundational’ to ‘good’ and ultimately to ‘best-in-class.
• Build trusted advisor for MT customers, demonstrating knowledge and strategic thinking and alignment.
• Analyse multiple data sets to provide category insight on drivers of performance of both the overall category and top MT customers, providing benchmarking, strategies and potential tactics to capitalise on mutually beneficial growth opportunities.
• Create customer centric category visions leveraging the DX operating model (Identify, Engage, Convert, Optimize) to gain alignment and support from stakeholders, both internally and externally to enable Category Captaincy and long-term partnership.
• Lead Category Reviews end to end to achieve category growth for retailers while ensuring PepsiCo wins versus competitor.
• Support customers on long term strategy reviews with end-to-end connected plans that incorporate shopper insights, category management ans shopper marketing suite.
• Secure trusted advisor status by demonstrating PepsiCo's insight and thinking and drive long term win-win solutions for PepsiCo and the customer through shopper and channel centric strategies and plans.

Differentiating Competencies Required:

Smart Innovator:

• Takes the initiative to solve problems & brings creative ideas, concepts and approaches
• Impacts new practises and ideas & generates insights that will have a positive impact on the business

Collaborates & Influences:

• Proactively identifies & pursues meaningful opportunities to collaborate with others
• Actively supports & takes action to drive a common goal across work or project teams
• Proactively shares information with his/her team & others so they can anticipate future opportunities & challenges
• Influences others through reason and relationships
• Actively seeks and understands the input of others to gain alignment to ideas

Analytical Thinking:

• Strong analytical skills - ability to synthesise and integrate learning from multiple sources and see the connections in data, trends and events to generate insights
• Briefs others and agencies on the type and scope of data to be obtained and analysed
• Recommends and implements solutions based on rigorous information gathering & analytical thinking

Champion Talent Developer:

• Proactively shares knowledge & insights with others to help them be more successful in their roles
• Demonstrates a passion for self-development & growth by seeking & acting on feedback from others about ways to improve.

Qualifications

What will qualify you for the role:

Tertiary Qualification in a Commercial, Business or Statistical field coupled with previous exposure to FMCG environment (Understanding of the retailer landscape, and instore challenges) and at least 3 years’ experience across data analysis, strategy creation, category management.

• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Problem-solving skills
• Interpersonal and influencing skills
• Teamworking skills
• Written and verbal communication skills to take others with and act on asks
• A methodical and logical approach
• The ability to plan work and meet tight deadlines
• A good level of mathematical ability
• The ability to analyse, model and interpret data
• Advanced customer and internal sales data experience
• Experience in marketing and/or Category Management
• Advanced knowledge of the end to end GTM value chain from production to shelf – including optimization