Category Manager

CATEGORY LEAD

Are you ready to make an impact and join Arla? Do you want drive category growth? Are you someone who thrives on thinking strategically and then get your hands into the nitty gritty day-to-day business with your team?

If you answered yes to these questions you will  be able to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our categories as the new Category Lead for Cheese and BSM in Finland.

We are currently looking for a highly motivated and experienced Category Lead to join our team at Arla Finland as part of the marketing team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving the development and execution of the category strategy for our Cheese and BSM (Butter, Spreads, and Margarine) categories. You will be reporting to the Marketing Director and be a part of the local marketing leadership team.

What you will be doing…

As our new category lead your priority is fuelling the growth of Arla’s Cheese & BSM business in Finland.

You and your team will:

• Have full ownership of category performance including forecasting, monitoring, reporting on the categories

• Lead brand building of category global and local brands like Castello & Ingmariini

• Own the category private label business

• Develop, implement and monitor assortment and shelf strategy for the assigned categories and key retailers in collaboration with the Customer Development team and KAMs

• Analyse the category & market and its trends and look for growth opportunities

• Act independently and pro-actively within the organization and work closely together e.g with customer development team and global category teams.

What will make you successful in this role?

You have experience in a  category management or customer development  in an FMCG environment with a proven track record of delivering results. Experience in brand building is a plus as you will be also working with the Category brands.

You are highly analytical, self-starting and thrive in a dynamic environment. You are able to perform data driven market analyses and champion your category to the organisation. 

The role requires strong communication and collaboration skills with Arla local and global stakeholders. You want to influence and lead through people – be it through your own team or other stakeholders.

Other qualifications:

• Academic degree (e.g. Economics, Business administration)

• Relevant experience 5-7 seven years within FMCG in e.g. Category Management, Consulting, Sales or Marketing, with a proven track record of commercial results.

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint is required. Specific software (as SpaceMan) and knowledge in Market Research is a plus.

Modern working in hybrid model

The office is considered our primary place of work and should be seen as a natural choice. It is of great value that the employees meet at the workplace since it contributes to collaboration, creativity, exchange of knowledge and strengthens and builds new relationships.

Our belief is that the best way of working, for many, is a mix between working from the office and working from home when it makes sense. This increases flexibility, which for many can contribute to further positive effects on the interaction between work and leisure (Work Life Balance).

What next?

If you have any further questions about the position before submitting an application, you can reach out to hiring manager: Marketing Director Kati Janhunen at katja@arlafoods.com