Location: Home-based, UK (with occasional travel to customer sites, Hain offices and manufacturing locations across the UK)

Join Hain Celestial UK

At Hain Celestial, we're passionate about creating healthier ways of living through some of the UK's most loved food and beverage brands such as Ella's Kitchen, Linda McCartney's, Hartley's, Roberson's, SunPat, Yorkshire Provender, New Covent Garden and many more. Category Management sits at the heart of our commercial strategy, helping us unlock growth opportunities for our brands, customers and consumers.

We're looking for an ambitious and commercially minded Category Manager to join our Category team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced FMCG category professional to influence customer strategy, shape category growth plans and drive business performance across key retail accounts.

The Role

As Category Manager, you will be responsible for developing and delivering category strategies that drive growth for both Hain Celestial and our customers. Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Channel Marketing, Commercial Strategy, Demand Planning and NPD teams, you'll use data, shopper insight and market trends to create compelling recommendations that influence decision-making at every level.

You'll act as a trusted category partner to customers, helping them optimise ranging, merchandising, pricing and promotional strategies while delivering exceptional shopper experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Category Planning

• Partner with key customers to develop category strategies that maximise category performance, shopability and mutual growth.
• Translate shopper, consumer and market insights into actionable customer plans.
• Develop recommendations across portfolio, placement, pricing and promotions.
• Monitor category performance and evaluate execution at point of purchase.

Range Optimisation

• Lead assortment and range planning initiatives based on shopper needs, market trends and commercial performance.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen Hain's category leadership position with customers.
• Deliver data-led recommendations that influence ranging and merchandising decisions.
• Lead customer and internal range review processes from insight through to implementation.

Category Insight & Thought Leadership

• Analyse market, retailer and shopper data to generate actionable insights for Sales, Marketing and NPD teams.
• Support innovation pipeline development through category and consumer understanding.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends and emerging opportunities.
• Develop compelling category stories and recommendations that drive customer action and commercial results.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, NPD, Channel Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Demand Planning teams to align category priorities and deliver business objectives.
• Act as the category expert within the organisation, providing guidance and support across multiple stakeholders.

About You

You'll be a highly collaborative and influential category professional with a passion for turning insight into action.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a Category Management role within the FMCG food industry.
• Strong understanding of category management principles, shopper behaviour and retailer strategies.
• Experience working with major UK grocery retailers, with knowledge of Asda considered particularly valuable.
• Proven track record of influencing customers and delivering category growth.
• Strong analytical and commercial skills with advanced Excel capability.

Desirable Experience

• Multi-channel category experience.
• Brand-side experience.
• Experience using shopper, market and retailer data platforms.
• Knowledge of Quantium or similar category insight tools.

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional communication, presentation and storytelling skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing ability.
• Commercially astute with excellent attention to detail.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term category development and short-term commercial delivery.
• Able to build credible, trusted relationships internally and externally.
• Self-motivated, proactive and comfortable working independently within a remote environment.

What's Important in This Role?

Success in this position comes from combining objective, data-driven category thinking with a clear focus on delivering commercial results. You'll be expected to create compelling narratives from complex data, influence customer decision-making and help shape category strategies that drive sustainable growth.

Additional Information

• Home-based role with regular UK travel.
• Frequent visits to customer head offices, route-to-market partners, Hain offices and manufacturing sites.
• Occasional overnight stays will be required.

If you're passionate about category management, enjoy influencing customers through insight-led recommendations and want to play a key role in driving growth for a leading FMCG business, we'd love to hear from you.