The Category Development Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing category and brand strategies that drive growth, profitability, and market leadership. This position is responsible for building, protecting, and growing assigned categories by managing brand demand to achieve budgeted volume, value, market share, and profit objectives. The role also involves developing impactful marketing initiatives and ensuring brand proposition harmonization across East Africa

Responsibilities

• Support the development, tracking, and execution of commercial category and brand plans, including strategic, operational, annual, and monthly reviews.
• Lead and implement brand innovations that enhance brand image and relevance to customers.
• Engage distributors, wholesalers, and direct customers to drive category and brand initiatives in collaboration with Sales and Trade Marketing teams.
• Develop and implement process improvements that reduce complexity, accelerate speed to market, and enhance consumer value.
• Monitor brand availability, sales performance, and market share, recommending proactive corrective actions.
• Provide timely, accurate information to support data-driven decision making.
• Support the preparation and management of A&P budgets, ensuring optimal spend aligned with growth objectives.
• Oversee the category marketing calendar to guarantee timely and effective delivery of initiatives.
• Plan and execute comprehensive media strategies, including advertising, digital, and below-the-line activities.
• Manage relationships with advertising, media, and creative agencies, as well as other key suppliers.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Manufacturing, and Procurement teams to align category objectives, manage S&OP processes, and source promotional materials.
• Analyze market research and competitor activities, making recommendations to strengthen category strategies.
• Drive new product development (NPD) and packaging innovations, including extensions and enhancements.
• Track category and brand profitability, providing insights and recommending improvements.
• Prepare monthly expenditure and variance reports for effective budget control.
• Conduct regular market intelligence and trade visits to gather insights and identify opportunities.
• Recommend, plan, and coordinate PR activities to strengthen brand image and category performance.
• Liaise with regional/global brand teams to align on strategic priorities and share progress updates.

Experience & Background Needed

• University degree, preferably in Marketing or Economics.
• 5 years of commercial experience in Marketing functions within an FMCG multinational.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Trade Marketing, Procurement, Operations, and Finance teams.
• Strong knowledge of marketing principles, category and brand strategy development, brand planning, new product development, and project management.
• Proven ability to support the development and execution of advertising strategies.
• Customer engagement experience.
• Digital and social media marketing exposure is desirable.
• Professional Marketing qualification (e.g., CIM) is an added advantage.