Category Managing Director: Rice and Pasta at Tiger Brands

THE JOB AT A GLANCE

You are an expert in how consumers and customers engage with your category. You focus relentlessly on meeting the business P&L targets, a strong understanding of how your business impacts the income statement and balance sheet, and building an exceptional category team. Your role involves positioning and building the category in market, delivering against the strategic and financial performance metrics, and striving towards achieving top ranked positions in each of our markets (South Africa & International). You also set the beat for the wider business, working closely with partners in Customer, Supply Chain, Marketing and Finance to ensure they deliver against the category strategy and business plan.

RESPONSIBILITIES
WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Lead the development of the category strategy, in line with group strategy, to drive category growth and meet medium to long-term growth targets for South Africa, International Markets and Food Service (P&L, market share, …) in adherence to the agreed portfolio strategy.
• Translate the category strategy and objectives into a category business plan, working closely with cross-functional partners (finance, R&D, Supply Chain etc..) and Corporate Strategy Development
• Drive strategy and execution by directing and engaging with a multi-disciplinary team across functions (Category Marketing, Sales, Integrated Supply Chain, HR and Finance), fostering a high level of cross-functional integration with all resources driving forward the category strategy and priorities
• Manage and monitor KPIs (incl. budget management), working with cross-functional partners to identify corrective actions as required
• Build your brands, directing your category team to ensure products have fit for purpose, insight-driven marketing plans (incl. marketing mix, pricing strategy, budget allocations, …)
• Oversee go-to-market priority setting for General Trade and Modern Trade (incl. sales budgets) to meet category objectives, partnering closely with the Customer function to drive its execution
• Drive innovation working with R&D and ensuring your category team are identifying the big bets that will cater to the needs of our consumers
• Build and develop top talent for the business by coaching/mentoring others and providing skills development opportunities
• Lead the consolidation of cross-functional inputs to track and monitor cross-cutting processes (e.g. NPD, IBP and S&OP) and the delivery against business targets

WHAT YOU WILL BE MEASURED ON

• Category P&L (EBIT)
• Market share (%)
• Net Sales Volume
• % of sales from innovation
• Cost ratios (RONA and working capital)

QUALIFICATIONS
WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE TABLE

Experience

• Prior experience as a Managing Director, with evidence that you are results driven, self-motivated and resourceful
• Experience managing across Supply Chain and Customer functions
• Proven ability to develop and strengthen teams in order to maximize profitability and deliver against objectives
• Emerging Market experience across multiple segments
• Prior experience in consumer marketing
• Qualification: A masters degree in business management, preferably an MBA, from a top Business School

Key attributes and competencies

• Commercial savviness – with demonstrated success at managing a P&L against pre-determined KPIs
• General management skills – with prior experience in the consumer goods sector, ideally spanning both marketing and customer functions, with an understanding of supply chain and finance operations
• Consumer and market knowledge – an understanding of how to build brands
• Influencing and negotiation skills – with an ability to influence across functions to make things happen