Category Lead: Grains

Category Lead: Grains & Bakeries - Cape Town HQ-ZAF PepsiCo Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa Overview PepsiCo is proud to be one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies. Every day, we are dedicated to bringing our mission to create more smiles with every sip and every bite to life. Our products are enjoyed more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Our portfolio – including Lay’s, Doritos, Gatorade, Pepsi and Quaker – consists of many iconic brands that generate more than US $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales, helping to deliver more than US $70 billion in net revenue in 2020. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive. Through PepsiCo Positive, we are charting a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people. PepsiCo Positive is an end‑to‑end strategic business transformation with sustainability at the centre of how we will create growth and value by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change. In South Africa (SA), you will find our products across the region at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. At the gym or on the field. In the office or on the go. We refresh, restore, and rejuvenate our consumers all day, every day with our key brands including Simba, Lay's, Liqui Fruit and Bokomo range of cereals. PepsiCo SA employs more than 13,000 people across our three business divisions: Bakeries, Grains, Foods, Fruit, Snacks, Juice & Beverages. Responsibilities To co‑create and execute customer & shopper centric solutions for the entire PepsiCo GRAINS & BAKERIES portfolio across both MT & TT Channels, which will enable growth acceleration for PepsiCo, winning versus competition and be seen as a trusted advisor by customers as per Advantage Monitor (TAG) priorities. To create and enable implementation of toolkits for key strategic priorities, namely Category Visions, PERFECT STORE 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’. Accountabilities Lead a team of Category Managers for GRAIN & BAKERIES aligning strategy Category growth pillars to drive shopper loyalty & market share. Deliver tactics to drive conversion into the category, basket size, PO1. Drive category strategy that delivers against the business unit must win battles. Build trusted advisor for GRAINS & BAKERIES across MT & TT customers, demonstrating knowledge and strategic thinking and alignment that ensures Win‑Win for both PEP and Retailer across key shopper decisions. Analyse multiple data sets to provide category insight on drivers of performance of both the overall GRAINS & BAKERIES category and top MT & TT 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 MT & TT customers, 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 and 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. Qualifications 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 optimisation Results orientated PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer in line with the Employment Equity Act Seniority level Mid‑Senior level Employment type Full‑time Job function Manufacturing and Food and Beverage Services #J-18808-Ljbffr