Job Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Category Specialist - Ingredients (Pastry & Ice Cream) to join our team. As a Category Specialist, you will be responsible for managing and promoting our ingredients for pastry and ice cream products. Your primary goal will be to develop and execute effective strategies to drive sales and achieve brand targets within this category. You will work closely with various departments, including Marketing, Sales, Technical, and Procurement, to ensure the success of our ingredient portfolio.

Responsibilities:

• Utilize strong brand management skills to create relevant catalogues for our pastry and ice cream ingredients.

• Collaborate with the Marketing department to plan and implement timely promotions and campaigns.

• Build the right product mix for the relevant ingredient brands.

• Execute forward forecasting for the ingredient brands with the sales team on a regular basis.

• Analyze historical sales trends to anticipate and forecast future product needs.

• Assess brand performance and take immediate actions to align with the company\'s expectations.

• Engage constantly with the technical team to develop innovative ideas and ensure successful implementation with the sales team.

• Ensure that the product mix aligns with customer requirements and expectations.

• Provide business reports and presentations as required or requested.

• Manage key clients alongside assigned sales team members.

• Ensure monthly brand targets are met and take swift action in advance to mitigate low demand or slow-moving scenarios, avoiding near-expiry situations.

• Stay informed about trends and market competitions within the pastry and ice cream industry.

• Maintain pricing benchmarks compared to competitor brands.

• Conduct regular product quality benchmarks against competitors.

• Arrange and coordinate training programs for the team to enhance their skills and knowledge.

• Ensure the sales team follows the agreed-upon sales strategy.

• Develop and fix training schedules for the full year.

• Align the full-year calendar plan with all relevant departments, including Marketing, Procurement, and Stores.

Requirements:

• Proven experience of 3 to 4+ years in brand management, preferably in the pastry and ice cream ingredients industry.

• Strong analytical and forecasting skills to anticipate product needs and trends.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

• Ability to analyze and interpret sales data and take appropriate actions to achieve brand targets.

• Knowledge of market trends and competition within the pastry and ice cream ingredients industry.

• Familiarity with pricing strategies and the ability to benchmark against competitor brands.

• Strong organizational and time management skills to coordinate training programs and align departmental calendars.

• Bachelor\'s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Prior experience in category management or similar roles is a plus.

Join our team as a Category Specialist - Ingredients (Pastry & Ice Cream) and contribute to the success of our ingredient brands by developing effective strategies, driving sales, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Apply now to be part of our dynamic and growing organization.

Empgowin