European Category Manager

As European Category Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in driving category growth and enhancing performance. You'll work closely with key customers, developing and implementing innovative strategies. By acting as a trusted advisor, you'll build strong relationships and identify growth opportunities. Your expertise will be essential in supporting Westfalia Fruit's commercial growth objectives. Domestic and international travel will be required to support customer and business operations across Europe.,

• Develop and lead the category vision for the avocado and value-added product lines across key European growth markets.
• Lead the development of the short and long-term category agenda in alignment with Westfalia's growth plans, ensuring its execution with customers.
• Translate category insights into actionable recommendations for customers, helping drive category growth through assortment optimisation, shelving strategies, and promotional effectiveness.
• Present category strategies and business reviews to customers, demonstrating growth possibilities for both the category and Westfalia products.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure the alignment of category initiatives with overall business objectives.
• Lead the category development agenda for innovation projects, working with cross-functional teams to introduce new products and improve category offerings.
• Set the agenda for category growth, ensuring the flawless execution of category projects in collaboration with sales and commercial teams.
• Develop customer-specific planograms and assortment strategies, working closely with space management teams.
  
  A strong background in category management or a related function.
• Prior experience of working within the fresh produce industry, responsible for fruit or vegetables, or dry grocery items.
• Proficiency in English and at least one other European language (Dutch, French, or German), with a willingness to achieve proficiency in the other languages.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with an in-depth understanding of shopper insights, customer knowledge, and category drivers.
• Proven leadership abilities, with experience managing multi-functional projects and influencing stakeholders at various levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with strong customer-facing experience.
• Expertise in using MS Office, Nielsen, and customer portals for data analysis and insight generation.
Desirable:
• Bachelor's degree in applied economics, Marketing, or related fields; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience working across multiple European markets, understanding regional market dynamics.
• Prior industry experience within the fresh fruit and vegetable sector.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging with senior management in both internal and customer-facing capacities.
• Ability to manage large-scale, multi-disciplinary projects, demonstrating creativity and flexibility in problem-solving.
  
  Westfalia Fruit is a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit and related value-added products to global markets. Through our vertically-integrated supply chain we grow, source, ripen, pack, process and market quality avocadoes & fresh produce - 365 days a year & across the globe.
With the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world, we are recognised as the leading #avoexperts and considered as the supplier of choice to both retail & wholesale customers whom we serve from sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America & Southern Africa.


• Competitive salary.
• Discretionary company bonus.
• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays.
• State of the art office with fresh fruit, bean-to-cup coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice & avocado ice-cream.
• Free on-site parking.
• Company pension scheme with life insurance cover.
• Employee Assistance Plan with Medicash.
• Christmas hampers & a Christmas party.
• Sausage roll Thursday & pizza lunch days.
Please note that this position does not have a specific closing date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and the advert may be removed at any time.