Head of Category

Job Description:

Head of Category

Function: Marketing
Job Title: Head of Category
Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer
Location: East Africa
Direct Reports: Category Manager

Job Purpose

The Head of Category is responsible for delivering the category Profit & Loss (P&L) targets with a business unit approach. The role holder is the overall custodian of the category’s identity and positioning and will be responsible for developing and executing the category strategy across different countries.

Key Stakeholders

• Internal:Category Team, R&D Team, Market Research Team, Finance Team, Supply Chain Team, Commercial/Sales Team, Media and Creative Team.
• External:Distributors, Media Partners, Advertising Agencies, External Consultants.

Key Responsibilities

1. Category Strategy Development & Execution

• Define and execute long-term category strategies aligned with Pan-African business goals.
• Translate business objectives into actionable growth plans for responsible categories.
• Develop and manage country-specific product portfolios, ensuring an optimal SKU mix and performance.
• Monitor category and market dynamics to identify risks and opportunities that impact long-term growth.
• Serve as the strategic category lead, ensuring alignment across business units and functions.

2. Consumer & Market Insight-Driven Innovation

• Identify white space opportunities through deep understanding of consumer, shopper, and market insights.
• Translate insights into innovation ideas and build robust business cases for Chief Marketing Officer approval.
• Lead the end-to-end New Product Development (NPD) process in collaboration with the Creative team and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure product development timelines are met through close coordination and project tracking.
• Drive continuous improvement in innovation processes based on post-launch analysis and feedback.
• Be accountable for Go-to-Market execution and delivery of the NPD approved metrics.

3. Category & Communication Management

• Ensure category strategies align with broader objectives and drive sustainable growth.
• Support the creation and execution of integrated marketing and communication plans.
• Monitor campaign performance and adjust plans based on data and insights.
• Champion category consistency and integrity across all consumer touchpoints and across different countries.
• Leverage agency partnerships to deliver impactful category activations and product launches.

4. Cross-functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of category initiatives.
• Partner with Creative, Sales, and Operations teams to align on key priorities and deliverables.
• Influence the Chief Marketing Officer and present strategic recommendations to drive decision-making.
• Manage external partners and agencies to ensure effective execution of go-to-market strategies.
• Foster a collaborative culture and mentor team members to support capability development.

5. Leadership Influence

• Communicate complex category strategies and business insights in a clear, compelling manner to influence senior leadership and drive alignment.
• Act as a key spokesperson for the category, ensuring consistency of narrative across internal forums and strategic discussions.
• Adapt communication style and content to effectively engage diverse audiences, from executive teams to frontline functions.
• Facilitate alignment by translating strategic plans into actionable messages for cross-functional teams and regional markets.
• Champion a culture of open, transparent communication across the team to drive engagement and accountability.

6. Financial Management

• Own full P&L responsibility for the category(ies), including sales, margins, and profitability targets.
• Analyze commercial performance and recommend actions to address gaps and accelerate growth.
• Define recommended retail pricing (RRP) and pricing architecture by country and category.
• Collaborate with Finance and Commercial teams to manage financial forecasts and budget planning.
• Identify and capitalize on revenue growth opportunities through effective portfolio and price mix management.

7. Quality Management and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all category initiatives, product developments, and launches comply with internal quality standards and external regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance and Regulatory teams to embed quality controls across the product lifecycle.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by integrating quality KPIs into category performance tracking.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to product quality, safety, and compliance early in the development process.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions in case of quality deviations, ensuring learning is captured and applied across future initiatives.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Experience

• Education:Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. A professional qualification with membership of a recognized marketing body (e.g., CIM) is required. Possession of an MBA is an added advantage.
• Experience:10 to 12 years of experience in the FMCG industry, preferably in Marketing, Innovation, and agency planning.
• Track Record:Excellent track record of leadership and team building, driving the development and evolution of entrepreneurial, high-performance cultures.