Category Manager at Avon

Develop Category Strategies while ensuring Category profitability:

• Responsible for reviewing data on current & prior year plan, from a category perspective, and input into annual and quarterly planning process. (marketing analysis, competitor, consumer, internal historic performance)
• Develop key actions to propose input for category development

Implementation of category strategies

• Ensure successful product launches through robust analysis of current & historical brand performance and competitor landscape.
• Input into size of line decisions and portfolio optimization.
• Responsible for providing relevant information on product launches / products to highlight for the quarter (move to junior)
• Ensuring strong & relevant plans are put in place to support major product launches, as well as executing the plans with precision in line with budget allocation
• Plan regular product flows with strong consumer offers to maximize product sales & meet margin targets
• Accountable for the category innovation, making sure innovation plan support category plans
• Ensuring the category plans are executed in line with launch plan and according budget allocated
• Tracking Campaign results and course correct when required
• Ensure creative support overall category strategy, from brief to GM sign off, creative reviews and liaising with creative department
• Responsible and Accountable for creating the category pagination every campaign with space allocated in line with strategies and brand productivity taken into consideration
• Responsible for working with Campaign & Demand Planning teams to review Category performance against plan and propose solutions to deliver category strategy in line with business KPI’s, within Campaign Planning process.

Matrix Relationships and Interfaces

• Responsible for ensuring alignment with matrix teams on key brand & category strategies. Required to ensure local market needs are understood by the regional support teams
• Accountable for ensuring teams deliver on matrix team deadlines.

People management

• Accountable for ensuring direct team consistently and effectively deliver quality work to ensure deadlines are met.
• Accountable for the PMP and Development plan discussions with direct team, as well as lead any probationary discussions required
• Ensure new associates are training with thorough on-boarding programme and are allocated a “buddy” in order to learn details of day to day responsibility.

 
Job Requirements

• Matric, Relevant marketing degree
• At least 5+ years marketing experience, category role preferred with FMCG or Cosmetic industry
• Advanced MS Office (Pivot, VLOOKUP’s, Formula’s)
• Excellent data analysis skills, and strategy development skills, commercial acumen