Head of Category & Shopper Management
To secure the future growth of the different Consumer Goods categories where Danone Belux is present with its products, we are looking for a Head of Category & Shopper Management.
In this role, you will lead both Category Management and Shopper Marketing teams, responsible for the design and implementation of growth vision, winning category development strategies, and impactful shopper activation plans across all channels (Retail, Away‑From‑Home, e‑Commerce, drug, ethnic, health), for all customers and the full portfolio of Danone.
Through strong internal and external engagement, you will enrich internal strategy development to realize sustainable growth for our categories and brands. You will lead a team of 16 (in)direct reports and report directly to the Sales Director Benelux.
Key Responsibilities
Category Development
* Build top‑notch category growth visions, strategies and plans to drive future growth of our categories and brands.
* Leverage global and EU expertise to enrich and adapt the local agenda, make it future‑fit (Danone way‑of‑selling, shopper studies, IT & data revolution).
* Foster strong category growth partnerships with key customers through acknowledged category, customer and joint business plan expertise and compelling tailored customer‑facing category growth stories, establishing Danone as category captain within its consumer goods categories (Dairy, Plant‑Based, Waters, Core Milks and First Diet).
* Build strong internal cross‑functional connections with Strategic Planning & Foresight, marketing leads, commercial leads and their teams to develop category growth strategies grounded in consumer, shopper, customer and channel insights.
* Provide thought leadership in category management and share personal expertise internally.
* Strengthen bonds with NL Category & Shopper team, leveraging MCO strategy.
Shopper Marketing & Activation
* Define and implement shopper marketing strategies that drive conversion and loyalty across all channels (Retail, AFH, eCom, etc.).
* Lead the development of impactful shopper campaigns and activations aligned with brand and category priorities.
* Ensure excellence in in‑store execution and visibility through close collaboration with Field Sales and Marketing teams.
* Translate shopper insights into actionable plans that enhance the shopper experience and deliver incremental growth.
* Manage relationships with external agencies and partners to deliver best‑in‑class shopper programs.
People Leadership
* Lead and coach a combined team of Category Managers and Shopper Marketing Managers to ensure they develop the right growth strategies for their respective categories and customers.
* Coach them to improve performance and support professional growth.
* Drive a culture of performance, innovation, and cross‑functional teamwork.
* Manage people managers within the team.
Internal Strategy & Governance
* Support cross‑enterprise business planning calendar definition led by SIA, driving continual improvement and increasing cross‑functional collaboration.
* Develop and maintain a solid category performance insights sharing approach, feeding the organization with relevant category and shopper trends and market developments.
* Implement a customer and shopper data governance model to leverage the added value of data to the maximum and elevate commercial opportunities into internal strategy and execution.
About You
* You hold a Master’s degree, preferably in Economics, Commercial Engineering, or a related field.
* You have a very solid background in category management and shopper marketing, combined with relevant people management experience.
* You bring a near‑native level of Dutch, French and English.
* You think strategically and formulate effective strategies.
* You have strong analytical skills, integrating consumer, shopper and customer insights to arrive at actionable conclusions.
* You are passionate about driving business results and striving for excellence.
* You master excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust with internal and external stakeholders.
* You are a strong people leader, with the ability to lead, coach, motivate and develop others.
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