Category Manager - New Zealand

Mission of Role

The New Zealand Category Manager is a vital member of the Oceania Category team within the Commercial function at Suntory Global Spirits. This role plays a crucial part in driving the business forward by building and implementing category growth strategies with key retail partners. Operating with exclusivity and a high degree of confidentiality, the New Zealand Category Manager will develop a deep understanding of the category, represent the full Suntory Global Spirits portfolio, and foster world-class relationships through leading category growth initiatives.

The role is responsible for being the category growth expert internally and retailers, with a focus on a 1–3-year horizon. By connecting insights from various sources to the strategic goals of the retailer, the New Zealand Category Manager will develop and execute category plans that prioritize the shopper's needs. Ensuring the alignment with Perfect Store principles, they will strategically guide the development of customer-specific plans, which are then executed and measured by the sales team.

The New Zealand Category Manager will operate autonomously with a single direct report, but collaborate closely with local heads of sales, marketing, shopper and commercial finance.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead Category Plan Execution: Execute a 12-month category plan grounded in insights and validated by retailer engagement. Develop expertise in the retailer’s approach to category development and integrate that with our SGS portfolio strategy to align our plans with retailer objectives.
• NPD Integration: Collaborate with marketing, category teams in Australia and local customer teams to present innovation (NPD) that aligns with the retailer's category vision delivering maximum impact for SGS.
• Retailer Partnerships: Forge strong category-driven partnerships with retailers, positioning SGS as a thought leader. Lead the creation of category review stories and facilitate key customer engagement meetings.
• Joint Business Plan Contribution: Play a key role in achieving retailers Joint Business Plans by executing the Year 1 category plan in collaboration with customer, shopper, and marketing teams.
• Perfect Store Development: Develop and implement perfect store guidelines with shopper marketing with a 12-month focus, driving the growth objectives of the category.
• Category Expertise: Act as the category expert for the business and retailers, delivering insights and tailoring the category plan to meet specific retailer needs. Lead retailer category reviews, ensuring alignment with core category drivers and action plans.
• Team Collaboration: Contribute to a positive team environment by sharing knowledge and collaborating with colleagues to enhance workplace engagement.
• Adherence to Policies: Ensure a strong commitment to SGS policies and procedures, always maintaining adherence.

Qualifications & Experience   

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years in business, marketing, customer, or category management.
• Education: Tertiary qualifications in Commerce, Business, or Marketing (preferred).
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical capabilities, with experience in Nielsen, Circana and Quantium.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced skills in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Space Management: Experience in space management is desirable.
• Presentation skills: Confidence presenting to customers and internal stakeholders.