Unilever – Category Manager Skin Care & Deodorants

BUSINESS CONTEXT  & MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

The Category Marketing Manager manages the brands portfolio within the skin care and deodorants categories, delivering the full P&L and Market Shares for East Africa (excluding Ethiopia) through value creation approach and in line with overall business strategy.

JOB SUMMARY / RESPONSIBILITIES:

The role is responsible for the health and performance of Category / Brand in an Operational Company and provides brand and customer priorities rooted in local insight.

• Manage and grow Brand through brand-driven activation, renovation of current core portfolio and brilliant implementation of Product Innovations.

• Achieve brand share and profitable growth targets through translation of brand & marketing plans into market-implementation and customer plans (with potential for tailor-made activities)

• Champion the consumer needs and brand passion within the overall business

• Champion competitive behavior and mindset throughout the business and translate it into targeted marketing activities to grow brand share

• Deliver market- and customer-knowledge driven input into innovation platform projects and brand planning to ensure requirements of categories will be met in the future

• Lead market implementation of those platforms and develop world-class activation mix

• Development of a share-growth-oriented marketing & category plan that seizes opportunities in product renovation, pricing strategy, competitor activities, customer/channel (e.g. convenience format, discounter) specific needs

• Represent consumer (insights), brand strategy and product quality requirements on the cross-functional team

• Translate marketing & category plan into a business framework and optimize commercial opportunities (identify threats). Feed into monthly and annual planning processes.

• Develop and implement 12-18 month portfolio roadmap including product range & quality, brand build, value delivery for consumers, pricing & affordability, range extension.

• Pro-actively feed market, category and customer requirements into platform innovation projects

• Champion impactful innovations from ideation to commercial launch

• Work with Global and Regional business group teams to ensure single minded communication message is created in line with the brand building communication plan, consistent with category needs.

• Monitor and review effectiveness of innovation and renovation programme to inform future plans. Ensure continued focus on and support of innovation platforms once launched.

• Management of marketing budgets within agreed targets and aligned with customer advertising activities.

Key interfaces:

• CCVP Beauty and Personal Care, Assistant Brand Managers along with responsibility for marketing assistants and graduate trainees as and when appropriate; Channel Category Managers and Business Development Managers; Global Category Teams; Supply chain and sourcing unit managers; Market and Consumer Insight Managers; Product and packaging development teams; External agencies: Brand Activation, Pack design, PR, consultancy as required.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Relevant Marketing / Business degree

• 7 years’ classic brand management experience in an FMCG environment

• Business management and brand development experience

• Category Planning skills

• Brand Launch / Brand relaunch project plan management

• Sales experience will be an advantage

• A member of CIM will be an advantage

Unilever is an organization committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.

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