Senior Category Manager - Emerging Channels

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Carlsberg Britvic is seeking a Senior Category Manager for Emerging Channels in Hemel Hempstead to lead the category agenda across growing channels, setting growth plans with the Head of Category and owning plans that optimise range and space. The role requires building relationships with key customers, leading cross-functional initiatives, mentoring a team, and representing category leadership in steering groups. You’ll need FMCG category leadership, experience across discount and online channels, an agile mindset, and comfort with senior stakeholders. Familiarity with market data tools such as JDA and loyalty data, and a business or marketing degree preferred. To apply, tailor your CV to show measurable impact and concrete examples of driving category value, and apply early.

Job Title: Senior Category Manager – Emerging Channels

Location: Hemel Hempstead, UK

Job Length: Permanent

Working Hours: Monday to Friday (37.5 hours per week)

Competitive Salary with extensive benefits:

• 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 6 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:

Are you a Senior Category Manager looking for a new challenge or an experienced Category Manager looking to progress your career? 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Category Manager to join Carlsberg Britvic working across our Emerging Channels channel. It is an incredibly exciting time to join the Emerging Channels category team as we upweight resource in this area to unlock and drive both category and commercial growth across our retailer partners.

As a strategic leader within Carlsberg Britvic’s category function, the Senior Category Manager will work with the Head of Category to set the direction for long-term growth across key customers and channels. This role owns the development of customer-category visions, leads cross-functional initiatives, and elevates Carlsberg Britvic’s presence as a trusted advisor to retail partners. With an agile and commercially focused mindset, you’ll deliver sustainable, insight-led strategies that drive category value, accelerate brand growth, and enhance our standing as a trusted partner to our customers.

This role is central to our planning and execution of commercial initiatives, therefore strong links will be required across the commercial functions, especially marketing, category strategy, shopper strategy, business insights, commercial operations and sales teams.

Role Responsibilities: 

Lead the Emerging Channels channel and customer category agenda ‘maximising today, and unlocking tomorrow’ 

• Own the strategic development of our annual operating customer category plans to drive execution against our category vision and range & merchandising blueprints, aligned with Carlsberg Britvic’s commercial priorities.
• Establish and nurture strategic relationships with key customer stakeholders, positioning Carlsberg Britvic as a trusted category authority. Leverage thought leadership to co-create impactful solutions that enhance category performance and drive measurable improvements in external evaluations, including the Advantage Group Survey where applicable.
• Lead the execution of the Emerging Channels channel and customer category roadmaps through range reviews identifying category initiatives to maximise point of purchase outcomes enabling us to maximise range, primary space, secondary location, availability and macro space, in outlet and online.
• Line manage Category Executive and mentor Category Manager, supporting capability development and succession planning in addition to deputising for the Head of Category when needed.
• Represent category leadership on steering groups, channel forums and leadership meetings.
• Set, track, and evaluate performance against space, range and distribution targets aligned to our range & merchandising blueprints.

Experience and Key Attributes:

• Significant experience in category leadership roles within FMCG, including direct responsibility for customer accounts.
• Experience working across discount and online channels would be desirable
• Proven experience managing teams and leading strategic, cross-functional initiatives.
• Agile and adaptable – the Emerging Channels channel experiences less structure, process and data whilst needing to deliver at pace which requires a proactive and entrepreneurial mindset
• Comfortable working with senior-level stakeholders in both retail and internal settings
• Familiarity with market data, space planning tools (e.g., JDA) and customer insight platforms (loyalty data).
• Degree-level education in Business, Marketing, Economics or equivalent; additional commercial or leadership qualifications (e.g. MBA) preferred.

Interested in finding out more? Apply today and a member of the recruitment team will be in touch!

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.

This is an exciting time to join our newly formed business – with their incredible individual history’s, innovation of products and some of the UK’s most iconic brands, Carlsberg Britvic strives to deliver the best service to our customers and consumers. We aim to make a difference, bringing together two diverse companies, our global reach enables opportunity, growth and a chance to work with some fantastic people.