Title:  Senior Category Manager

Müller UK & Ireland is wholly owned by Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller which employs over 31,000 people throughout Europe. In the UK, Müller develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of branded and private label dairy products made with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain.Müller is ranked within the top 20 in The Grocer’s Top 100 list of Britain’s Biggest Brands and is picked from shelves millions of times each year. Müller UK & Ireland includes:

Müller Milk & Ingredients which aims to be Britain’s private label dairy leader and produces branded and private label fresh milk, cream, butter and ingredients products. It boasts a network of dairies and depots servicing customers throughout the country.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts which is the UK’s leading yogurt manufacturer which aims to create millions more Müller moments for its consumers. It is responsible for major brands like Müller Corner, Müllerlight, Müller Bliss, Müller Rice, FRijj and Müller Kefir Smoothie and produces chilled desserts under licence from Mondelez International. It also supplies the UK private label yogurt market from a dedicated, state of the art yogurt facility.

Müller Milk & Ingredients (MMI) are looking to welcome an experienced Senior Category Manager to our team. As well as leading and developing 2 direct reports, you’ll become the expert for your customer, focusing on Milk, Cream, Butter & Milk Drinks. You will work effectively within internal and external cross functional teams, highlighting growth opportunities for both retailers and MMI. Leading category change, your ability to influence and drive strategy into action is key – we want ideas to come to life!

Agility, resilience and a pro-active can-do attitude are critical for success and in return you’ll be playing a fundamental role in helping to drive forward and shape one of the single largest categories in total FMCG.

Role in detail for the Senior Category Manager

Overview:

• Account Category Strategy development and engagement
• Leading strategy into action - key projects management & delivery
• Regular internal and external stakeholder engagement
• Category essentials – regular insights; range reviews; merchandising principles etc
• Manage Category Manager and Category Executive and support wider team development

Leadership, Vision & Strategy:

• Utilises Muller strategy and acts as a guide for teams to influence their direction, based on contribution to the strategy
• Creates an environment where team are empowered to challenge and take opportunities in line with Commercial strategy
• Anticipates potential challenges to the achievement of customer plans and find solutions to them
• Develops flexibility within the team to operate and achieve with pace

Knowing our Market:

• Knowledge, understanding and utilisation of current channel trends in order to anticipate future channel dynamics
• Able to influence channel / retailer focus within MMI
• Communicates Category Vision and Growth Drivers consistently with internal and external stakeholders with clear direction for impact on total category and MMI
• Work with NWT to understand category and MMI performance by channel
• Monitoring and reporting of channel and understanding of all current and potential customers performance
• Knowledge of consumer diagnostics (penetration, frequency, avg weight of purchase etc) at a channel level (where insight allows)

Commercial Excellence:

• Provides the tools and appropriate development that enables effective influence
• Influences at all levels internally and externally - seeking opportunities to broaden sphere of influence
• Provides direction and resource management to facilitate best in class execution of activity / actions
• Ensures learnings are adopted into future plans as well as sharing best practice
• Able to influence financial performance (internal and external) via interpretation of data and industry knowledge, with consideration on the impact on MMI
• Acts in the interest of the broader business rather than with a category only agenda
• Creates an environment where new ideas are welcomed, even if they fail and adopts 'Test and Learn' principles
• Influences the development of new and existing systems, processes, report and technology to drive improved business performance

Effective Relationships:

• Works effectively with business departments and key senior stakeholders to identify potential opportunities and improvement
• Champions collaborative relationships, is able to resolve conflicts in a positive manner
• Engages stakeholders with content and style of delivery to drive performance improvement and support joint objectives
• Foresees potential stakeholder needs and aligns department plans to fulfil these need
• Welcomes feedback and insight - always seen as an opportunity to develop relationships

Experience Required and key skills: -

• Extensive experience in a customer facing category role delivering activities and growth for customers
• FMCG experience in category/commercial/strategy roles
• Experience of key data sources: Kantar, Circana (IRI); retailer data systems
• Experience of Private Label would be an advantage
• Strategic thinker – creates insight and vision, knitting together pieces from different sources
• Strategy into action – based on strategic alignment with customer, can create an actionable plan and see it through to delivery, making change happen
• Curious – keen to dig deep to understand retail customers, shoppers and consumers -
• Engaging – can build relationships and influence, both internally and externally
• Team leader – manages, coaches and develops direct report and the wider team

Müller pride ourselves on offering support to help develop your knowledge and skills. In return for your commitment, drive and enthusiasm, we offer our employees numerous benefits as part of your employment, including:

• Competitive Salary
• Car or Car allowance
• Bonus scheme
• Health Care Package
• Contributory pension plan
• Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous annual leave increasing with service
• Flexible benefits programme
• In addition, our employees have access to a Rewards Benefits Programme, giving you a range of discounts across 800 retailers online and in store

The Process

If you have the skills and experience in the above areas and would like to be considered for this role, please apply at www.mullercareers.co.uk #LI-MB1

Contact Details:

F.A.O. UK Recruitment, Müller UK & Ireland, Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 3SQ