Category Manager

Job Description for ZoneCategory Manager SAPMENA Category Manager Hello, we’re L’Oréal. We're not just building brands, we'reshaping how the world experiences beauty (and it takes a lot of cool jobs to doit). Intrigued? Keep reading, this might be the opportunity you've beensearching for. A Day in the Life The SAPMENA Category Manager is a leadership roleresponsible for defining and executing Offline & Online (O+O) categorymanagement strategies to drive sustainable market share growth and salesperformance. By translating consumer insights into actionable retailstrategies, optimizing product assortment, pricing, promotion, andmerchandising, the candidate will design effective category solutions tomaximise shopper experience and accelerate growth of our brands. Key responsibilities will include: 1. Strategic Leadership & Vision: Develop and champion the overall Category Management strategy, aligning with global brand strategies, local market needs, and commercial objectives. Translate global insights and trends into Category Growth Plans to influence DMIs on their future innovations. Lead the development of compelling category visions and retailer selling stories to guide our markets in exciting our retail partners to accelerate category growth. Pioneer shopper research for insights into their shopping journey and path to purchase to develop effective category solutions for our retail partners. 2. Category Management Excellence: Design and recommend assortment, space, and merchandising guidelines to markets based on shopper behavior, market trends, and profitability analysis. Provide actionable recommendations on pricing strategies and promotional effectiveness to maximize category and brand performance. Leverage shopper research to gather insights into shopping journey and path to purchase, to drive innovation in category solutions, to enhance shopper experience and retailer collaboration. 3. Shopper Activation & Experience: Design, develop, and execute best-in-class shopper activation programs (online and offline) that drive conversion, increase basket size, and enhance brand loyalty. Design effective and optimized merchandising solutions fit for purpose across offline channel. Champion O+O activations to maximise offline and online brand experiences across all touchpoints, from e-commerce to in-store. Monitor, measure, and analyze the effectiveness of shopper campaigns, using insights to continuously optimize future activations and demonstrate ROI. 4. Budget & Performance Management: Provide markets with guidelines on Shopper Experience budget management, ensuring optimal allocation of resources to achieve strategic objectives and maximize ROI. Manage and improve category growth and profitability with store tiering, optimization of Shopper Experience budget including CAPEX, testers, BAs and POSM. Provide regular reporting on category performance, in-store category projects and strategic recommendations to senior leadership on category growth opportunities. 5.Regional Upskilling and Capability Building: · Develop and run category trainings and workshopsto develop capabilities of regional category managers · Animate community through best practice sharingand transversal category learnings. We Are Looking For We are seeking a candidate who can turn complex data into aclear, strategic vision and inspire action. You are a natural leader and collaborator,adept at navigating a multi-functional environment to achieve shared goals. You’re a great match if you demonstrate: Strategic Vision: Ability to analyze complex market data to build a long-term, winning category strategy. Influence with Impact: Excellent communication skills to build convincing arguments and influence key stakeholders, both internally and externally. Solves Problems & Drives for Results: A proactive approach to identifying challenges and developing effective, data-driven solutions to meet business objectives. Builds Effective & Collaborative Relationships: Skill in fostering strong partnerships with cross-functional teams and external partners to drive projects forward. Analytical Thinking: Proficiency in interpreting shopper studies, RGM data, and market trends to make informed business decisions. 8-10 years of Relevant Experience in category management, trade marketing, sales finance or other commercial related fields. Experience in Beauty & Personal Care industry will be preferred. Who We Are L’Oréal is present in 150 markets on five continents. Fo…