Senior Category Manager

Job description

About Hero UKI You probably know us best through our beloved brands: Deliciously Ella for our range of plant-based food products and delicious recipes; Organix for our tasty toddler snacking range; and Goodies for fun pre-schooler snacks. This is a unique opportunity to lead the Marketing agenda and make a visible impact in a leading company that prioritises sustainability, integrity, and natural goodness. We’re proud of our strong heritage of using business as a force for good in the UK food landscape – building brands that connect deeply with consumers; leading our categories in key retail partners; and offering nutritious, delicious snacking options to all age groups. You’ll find our offices in the heart of London and in sunny Bournemouth. We’ve been named a Great Place to Work, and we’re seriously proud of the positive culture and business we’ve built together. We’re part of the Hero Group, a global family of brands united by a shared mission ‘to delight consumers through honest goodness in every bite’. About Hero Group Hero is a global food company, founded in 1886 in Switzerland, specialising in branded nutritional products across the Growing Up and Adult categories. With a portfolio of trusted brands like Corny, Semper, Goodies, Beech-Nut, Organix, and Deliciously Ella , Hero delivers high-quality, great-tasting food rooted in natural goodness. With 4,000 team members worldwide, the company is driven by strong values, high performance, and a commitment to doing the right thing - always, without compromise. About the role As our Category Manager, you’ll help shape how shoppers discover and choose Adult Snacking and Baby products at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. You’ll turn category, shopper and market insight into clear recommendations that grow our categories and create value for retailers and shoppers. You’ll join our Category & Insight team, reporting to the Category & Insight Controller. Working with Commercial, Marketing, Finance, Product Teams and global Category & Brand colleagues, you’ll turn insight into agreed actions and share UK learning across the Hero Group. This permanent, full-time role is based in London, with two office days each week, monthly UK retailer visits and occasional visits to Bournemouth. You’ll lead projects and guide colleagues without direct people management responsibilities. Key responsibilities Build trusted category relationships with Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Develop growth plans tailored to each retailer’s shoppers and priorities, influencing range, space, distribution, availability and fixture navigation. Turn analysis into commercial action. Recommend pricing and promotional opportunities with Commercial and Finance, assessing incremental sales, recruitment, repeat purchase and cannibalisation. Evaluate shopper media and in-store shopper psychology initiatives. Agree objectives, baselines and success measures, distinguish observed results from proven incremental impact and recommend what to improve, repeat or scale. Bring insight to life. Combine retailer, market, shopper and consumer data into clear category stories, highlighting opportunities across range, formats, innovation and shopper missions. Track agreed actions and evaluate results. Contribute to global Category & Insight projects. Share relevant UK learning and turn global insight into practical opportunities for the UK business. Lead delivery across your category projects. Agree priorities, timings and responsibilities, provide constructive analytical challenge and escalate dependencies to the Category & Insight Controller. You’ll own analytical quality and agree implementation with Commercial; final range, pricing and promotional decisions sit with each retailer. Own the SIP and dunnhumby Waitrose partnerships. Negotiate terms, costs and service scope within agreed budgets and approvals, coordinate renewals and review the value and usefulness of each service. About you You’ll bring FMCG category management experience, including relevant agency experience, with evidence of influencing retailers and supporting category growth. You’ll understand grocery retail and how range, distribution, pricing, promotions and shopper behaviour shape performance. You can combine multiple data sources, build a clear category story and influence buyers and colleagues. You’ll be confident using Excel, PowerPoint, retailer shopper data and market data, and able to prioritise projects, challenge constructively and communicate practical recommendations. No specific qualification is required. We’re interested in the capability and relevant experience you can demonstrate. It would be helpful, although not essential, to have experience in Baby, children’s or adult snacking, exposure to Sainsbury’s or Waitrose, or involvement in global projects. Experience of shopper psychology, fixture navigation, shopper media or store-trial evaluation would also be welcome. A relevant commercial, analytical or shopper qualification, or experience with dunnhumby, SIP/Nectar, NIQ, Circana or Kantar, would be an advantage. What We Offer Our values are at the heart of everything we do. Developed through an inclusive process involving colleagues from across the business, they guide how we work, collaborate, and succeed together. They reflect who we are today and the future we are building. Create Wow - We go beyond expectations and strive to make a meaningful impact Everyone Hero – Every individual matters and every contribution counts. Nourish Others – We support, inspire, and help each other grow. Take Responsibility - We own our actions and outcomes, individually and as a team You will have the opportunity to be part of a mission driven business at a hugely exciting point in our growth trajectory, where your voice is heard and where you’re able to actively impact our business. Some great perks in working for Hero UK&I include: 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off Private Medical Insurance from day one (plus dental and optical fund) Life Assurance and Income Protection Contributory pension scheme starting with 5% employer contribution, moving to 10% with service, and access to free pension advice Enhanced maternity and paternity pay Access to Grocery Aid employee assistance resources. Massages & Reflexology when you are in our Bournemouth office Psycle Classes when you are in our London office Salary sacrificed schemes: Childcare support, Home & Tech, Bike to Work and Electric Car Schemes On-site parking at our Bournemouth Office Hybrid Working and Flexible Bank Holidays Summer hours in July and August Office perks including team breakfasts and lunches and snacks from all our UK brands Learning Opportunities and Study Leave Free Deliciously Ella App Access for you and five friends and family Equal Opportunity Statement Hero UK&I is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected category under applicable laws.