CATEGORY DIRECTOR EUROPE - FMCG

• Leading FMCG company
• Transformation and Growth context

About Our Client

Well-known multinational FMCG company

Job Description

Reporting to the European Commercial Excellence and Sales Director, this person will be the owner of the category growth agenda across Europe, translating brand ambition, shopper insights and market opportunities into scalable growth strategies that drive profitable revenue growth, market share gains and customer value. Key Responsibilities: Define the European Category Growth Strategy

• Develop and lead the long-term category vision and growth strategy across European markets.
• Identify category growth opportunities through consumer, shopper, channel and competitive insights and determine strategic growth spaces, future demand drivers and category priorities.
• Establish category growth targets and success metrics aligned with business objectives.

• Develop compelling, insight-driven category narratives that position as a category growth partner.
• Define category growth strategic recommendations for customers and channels.
• Connect category performance drivers with shopper behaviour, consumption occasions and portfolio opportunities.
• Translate category insights into actionable commercial opportunities.

• Define category, channel and in-store execution guidelines.
• Develop category toolkits, playbooks and picture-of-success frameworks for local teams.
• Ensure consistent deployment of category strategies across markets while allowing local adaptation.
• Monitor category, portfolio and innovation performance against growth objectives.
• Identify and scale category management best practices throughout the region.

• Define portfolio priorities, white spaces and innovation opportunities across categories.
• Partner with Marketing, Innovation and Business Units to prioritize innovation pipelines and product renovation plans.
• Ensure portfolio decisions support long-term category growth ambitions.

• Champion the development of superior shopper, customer and category understanding.
• Define the insights agenda and identify new data sources, methodologies and analytical approaches.
• Partner with Consumer Insights teams to generate actionable business insights.
• Promote data-driven decision making across the organization.

The Successful Applicant

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics or related field.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification preferred.
• 10+ years of experience within FMCG across Category Management, Commercial Strategy, Trade Marketing, Revenue Growth Management or Sales.
• Proven experience leading Category management and category vision roles in regional or multi-country initiatives.
• Strong understanding of category development, shopper behaviour and modern retail dynamics.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders in complex matrix organizations.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Sharp analytical skills to process data, develop insights from the data and produce pragmatic plans that are well thought through.
• Fluency in English. Additional European languages are an advantage.

• Strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills.
• Consumer and shopper focus.
• Data-driven decision-making.
• Project and change management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Commercial orientation and results focus.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and matrix organizations.

What’s on Offer

To be part of a leading FMCG company with strong plans to grow and innovate

Contact

Cecilia Okiñena

Quote job ref

JN-072026-7075049