Category Manager - Wholesale / Symbols & Independents

Britvic; Hemel Hempstead; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - GBP 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beverage company in the UK is looking for a Category Manager to drive commercial growth in the wholesale and independent markets. The role will involve establishing strategic relationships with key customers and translating consumer insights into actionable strategies. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of category management experience, strong analytical skills, and be able to influence key stakeholders effectively. This role offers a competitive salary and a permanent contract.

Benefits

Monthly product allowance

Private Medical options

Life Assurance

Company bonus scheme

Access to 24/7 GP services

Enhanced pension contribution

Generous holiday

High street discounts

Qualifications

• 3-5 years’ experience in category, customer marketing, or commercial roles within FMCG.
• Strong command of space and range principles with analytical skills.
• Outstanding communication and influencing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Establish strategic relationships with key customer stakeholders.
• Translate consumer, shopper, and market trends into strategies.
• Lead execution of category roadmaps through range reviews.

Skills

Category management expertise

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Commercial acumen

Strong relationship building

Education

Degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field

Tools

JDA

dunnhumby

PowerBI

Job description

Category Manager - Wholesale / Symbols & Independents

Job Title: Category Manager
Location: The primary location for this role is Hemel Hempstead; however, due to the nature of the position, we are open to applications from across the UK. Occasional travel to the head office will be required for team meetings.

Job Length: Permanent

Working Hours: 37.5

• Monthly product allowance – alcoholic & non-alcoholic options available
• Private Medical options
• Life Assurance
• Company bonus scheme
• Access to 24/7 GP services
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Generous holiday (inc bank holidays)
• Access to a range of high street discounts

Carlsberg Britvic is the largest multi-beverage supplier in the UK and is home to some of the most iconic and popular beers & soft drinks, including Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, 1664, Poretti and Brooklyn to ale favourites such as Hobgoblin and Wainwright. For soft drinks, Carlsberg Britvic’s brands include J2O, Robinsons, Tango and London Essence along with the licence rights to the Pepsi portfolio in the UK including Pepsi MAX, 7UP, Lipton Iced Tea and Rockstar Energy.

With a strong national footprint, the Carlsberg Britvic business includes 5 production facilities and 16 logistics depot’s servicing customers up and down the UK. As these two historical businesses have come together, the one common goal remains, and that is ensuring our people succeed.

About the Role

Following the acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg in January 2025, Carlsberg Britvic has emerged as one of the world's largest drinks companies, boasting an impressive portfolio of brands enjoyed by millions across the UK throughout their day. With the Off Trade division set to deliver over £1.4 billion in net revenue in 2025, we're poised for even greater growth as a total drinks powerhouse.

As Category Manager, you'll be an integral part of our commercial growth engine, translating strategy into execution and serving as the commercial lynchpin between customer-specific insight, brand opportunities, and in-outlet activation. You'll develop collaborative relationships with retailers and internal partners to deliver robust category plans, identify growth levers, and shape customer agendas that elevate our brands while enhancing our position as a trusted partner.

Working primarily with convenience customers across wholesale symbols and independents markets, you'll focus on \"maximizing today and unlocking tomorrow\" with key accounts such as Booker, Bestway, and Unitas while influencing our field execution plans.

Role Responsibilities

• Establish strategic relationships with key customer stakeholders, positioning Carlsberg Britvic as a trusted category authority and co-creating impactful solutions that enhance category performance
• Translate consumer, shopper, and market trends into channel and customer strategies that drive category growth and competitive advantage
• Lead the execution of category roadmaps through range reviews and initiatives that maximize point-of-purchase outcomes across distribution, range, space, and rate of sale
• Develop compelling category selling stories and customer immersion experiences designed to influence implementation of category solutions and strategies
• Lead strategic agendas on critical topics including health and wellness, sustainability, deposit return schemes (DRS), and high fat salt sugar (HFSS) legislation
• Partner with Insights, Category Strategy, Sales, and Brand/Channel operations teams to embed category thinking in brand planning and commercial execution
• Set, track, and evaluate performance against space, range, and distribution targets aligned to our range and merchandising blueprints
• Mentor and develop team members while championing category capabilities across functions
• Manage allocated category development budgets effectively against agreed customer data contracts and research projects

Experience and Key Attributes

• 3-5 years\' experience in category, customer marketing, or commercial roles within FMCG or similar sectors, with a proven track record of working directly with customers
• Strong category management expertise with excellent command of space and range principles and analytical skills to synthesize insights from syndicated and shopper data
• Outstanding communication and influencing abilities, with credibility in front of customers and the capacity to build and maintain strategic relationships
• Commercial acumen with understanding of key financial levers and how to optimize them through customer planning and negotiation
• Degree (or equivalent) in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field
• Experience with space planning tools (e.g., JDA) and customer insight platforms such as dunnhumby and PowerBI is desirable
• Adaptability and composure in a fast-paced environment, with openness to evolving business priorities and routes to market

Our commitment to diversity equity & inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences - including those of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses. We actively seek to create a safe and inclusive environment for all of our colleagues, where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and inclusive practices are embedded in everything we do.

We are happy to support accessibility needs, to ensure a fair and equitable experience for all candidates, so please do let us know if you require any adjustments during the recruitment process.

Application Process: We read applications continuously, and vacancies may be filled anytime, so please apply as early as possible.

We look forward to receiving your application.