A Vacancy exists for a Category Manager to be based at ABI Central Office. Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to fill the above vacancy within the Category Management Department. The successful applicantsare expected to start as soon as possible.

KEY PURPOSE

To effectively build expertise from a Category and Space Management point of view to ultimately gain market share and increase profits.

The primary purpose of this role is to be the key facilitator for decision making within the different channels in the organisation, with regards to pricing, SKU management, shelf management, “look of success” and promotional impact.

The nature of the decision making is big picture (i.e. Brand, pack, region & activity) based:
• Proactive to opportunities
• Reactive to competitors or market shifts and internal readiness to act
• Reactive to learning.
• Reactive to shoppers’ behaviour.

The main goal is to improve visual effectiveness, while maximising margins and profitability for both the organisation and our customers.

KEY OUTPUTS

1. Objectively give input in defining channel and category strategy as well as the ideal look of success
• Create a platform for learning by monitoring performance and challenging current working forums to continuously improve
• Create a platform for learning by sharing insights collated from other bottlers
2. Monitor and track internal and external performance of the different categories within ABI, softdrinks division of SAB Ltd
• Pull together information from different sources (financial, trade and research) and demonstrate how they are interlinked
• Create frameworks that facilitate pulling together of information in a “business friendly manner”
• Manage and own store & barcode level data
3. Identify key performance gaps and opportunities for demand creation initiatives across category, activity and region
• Demonstrate how the detail fits with the big picture
• Identify the key trade-off discussions required at a senior level
4. Recommend options and solutions to category & channel initiatives to TCCC, customers, channel marketing department and entire sales force
• Find creative yet practical solutions to category challenges
• Recommend potential trade offs
• Develop and communicate success & profit stories
• Highlight the impact on the business as a whole, as well as customer
5. Develop, translate and communicate shopper insights and how it impacts execution
• Shopper needs, behaviours, usage habits, experiences and perceptions identified with reference to target market and shared
• Case studies drawn upon and shared
• Ensuring alignment between behaviour and strategy
6. Develop execution standards for:
• Sales execution
• Merchandising execution
• Merchandising equipment
7. Be able to conceptualise equipment required to further the category
• Innovation of equipment that meets specific category or channel needs
8. Space planning for both ambient and cold availability for all categories which the organisation participates in.
• Prepare ranging documents and suggest discontinuations on ranging
• Apply rate of sale to planograms
• Prepare planograms
• Mediate with buyers and trade marketing staff
• Manage and mediate roll out and implementation of planograms
9. Liaise with customer category managers, store managers, customer buyers around proposed category enhancements

KEY ATTRIBUTES AND COMPETENCIES

• Numeracy skills- ability to work with detail analysis and quantitative consumer research
• Ability to think creatively to deliver practical solutions to problems
• Communication – ability to synthesise large amounts of information and communicate it in a simple and relevant manner to working teams as
well as decision making forums, and customers
• Curiosity to explore and understand “foreign” areas
• Understanding of the decision making process and what information is needed to facilitate in
• Objectivity – ensuring that competition laws are not transgressed in any way
• Ability to adapt to the ever changing market and business requirements
• Change management ability
• Negotiation skills
• EQ influencing skills
• Understanding of the FMCG environment & category understanding
• Confidence to present to senior persons of this organisation & customer
• Presentation skills
• Candidate should be a facilitator, administrator and a strategic thinker.

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

• Matric or equivelant
• BCom or Marketing Degree (MBA desirable)
• 5 years experience in sales, marketing or an analytical orientated job