Category Manager

Gauteng, JHB - Western Suburbs
- R 48 750 Monthly Cost To Company (Negotiable)

One
**of the largest stationery and promotional gift company based in the West Rand of Johannesburg is currently seeking Category Manager/Senior Data Analyst for their marketing department.**

**MAIN PURPOSE**:
**To analyze data (IRI | Cognos | Trade Intelligence) to drive insights to deliver the business and category growth objectives.**

**To define channel guidelines across Category Management levers with a focus on: -**
**o**
**Driving incremental sales and profit for the company and Retail partners**

**Gain optimized distribution and visibility for company products in the retail environment.**

**Provide analytical inputs on category opportunities.**

**Drive alignment between the functions involved in Category Development (Marketing, Sales, RGM) and coordinate programs and actions needed to implement recommendations.**

**Lead identified category management projects.**

**Translate global Category Management strategies by Category into locally relevant strategies where applicable.**

**Ongoing relationship building and communication with the Marketing and Sales Teams, driving alignment on opportunities and building data credibility with the teams.**

**MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES / TASKS**
Strategically focused, decision-making support function to the Sales and Marketing Departments to maximize customer focused opportunities.

Monitor and track internal and external performance of demand creation initiatives.

Identify key performance gaps and opportunities for demand

creation initiatives across the categories.

Maintain, operate, and actively assess IRI, QlikView Insights, Trade Intelligence, Shoprite Webbie, GS1 and for detailed reporting to the business.

Monthly reporting on performance of categories to the company business, locally and internationally.

Producing detailed Retail Reviews which encompasses category strategies.

Tracking performance, new product innovations, pricing and distribution of competitors and their products.

Working with GS1 to generate barcodes for new products and to load new products onto GS1 (data net).

Listings of all new products for Major Retailers such as Game, Shoprite, SPAR, PnP, Makro, Dis-Chem, Clicks, Boxer, etc.

Strike Rate reports (listing shortfalls by channel and store, OOS reporting)

Ensure that the planograms are built on accepted industry guidelines.

Assist Sales where necessary, to improve the merchandising standards within various channels according to company guidelines.

Attend meetings with Key Account Managers to assist with delivering the Category plans.

Competitor analysis and understanding.

**Key performance Indicators/ Key Figures**
Meeting of deadlines for all reporting.

Results of key marketing initiatives and promotional activities to be updated and communicated monthly assisting in the achievement of the sales budget.

Interaction and collaboration with key stakeholder in Sales and Marketing to develop and enhance strategies to deliver the operating plan.

Distribution gains and improvement of each POP.

Analysis of key price points by category ensuring that the pricing strategies are delivering (price volume interaction) propose course corrective action when necessary.

Build and develop sustainable collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external data service providers.

**QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SKILLS**
4 YEARS Category Management Experience in FMCG

Strong computer literacy in IRI Software, QlikView Insights Software, MS Office, MS Windows, and PowerPoint

High Numeracy skills - detail analytical ability.

A proven record in excellent internal and external customer liaison skills and outstanding supplier relations & service excellence experience.

**Knowledge, Skills, Competencies**

**Simple Criteria**
Maintain, operate & actively assess IRI, QlikView Insights, Trade Intelligence, GS1 and the Shoprite Webbie for detailed reporting to the business

Advanced Excel Skills

Relationship Builder

Passion for people and management

**Complex Criteria**
Be able to influence and persuade others to take a specific course of action

Energy and passion for achievement of own commitments and delivering company objectives

Building strong relationships with key customers and internal customers within the organization

Respect others and mange diversity regarding diverse cultures, management styles

Consistently manage projects and meet deadlines as per expectation, be well organized

Think creatively to deliver practical solutions to problems

Understanding of the decision-making process

EQ influencing skills

Ability to Multi-tasking, detail driven and focused

Deadline driven

Drive for Results

Action Orientated

Must be able to work under pressure

Must be numerically strong

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**
3-year Marketing degree with statistics as a major.

Traveling - essential

Current exposure and working on and with IRI data will be a