Group Category Director at Promasidor

Job Objectives
Reporting to CSCS CEO, the incumbent is responsible for advising all operating company Managing Directors or Marketing Directors (if this position exists at the operating company) on:

• The operating company’s strategic direction in the respective category and the development of brand plans.
• NPD, brand rejuvenation, brand innovation and reformulation potential in the respective category.
• Improvements in marketing, advertising and branding and potential innovation.
• Cross fertilisation of all success and failures of operating company advertising, marketing and branding activities across the group and cross fertilisation of competitor activity, in particular competitor innovation.

Key Responsibilities
Responsibility Area 1:

• The operating company’s strategic direction in the respective category and the development of brand plans/

Duties:

• Align with CSCS CEO on a broad strategic framework for the group in the respective category
• Clear presentation to all countries of the group’s strategic direction within that category
• Clear presentation to all countries regarding the global direction of the category and advice on the country’s own strategic direction
• Assist where necessary operating companies to accumulate necessary data so that brand plans
• are effective
• Make strategic recommendations on the brand plans and ensure the objectives are consistent with maximising long term profitability
• Keep abreast of current consumer usage, habits, motivation and consumption trends and advise if brands plans are not consistent

Performance Indicators:

• Group wide understanding of the framework of the group category strategy, global category trends and clear regular presentation to operating countries of these issues Quality of brand plans
• Success (sales and profitability growth of the category)

Responsibility Area 2:

• Advice regarding NPD, brand rejuvenation, brand innovation and reformulation potential in the respective category.

Duties:

• Promasidor aims to lead the competition through NPD, brand rejuvenation and brand innovation. Help to provide inspiration to each operation to assist the group achieve this objective
• Monitor global developments in brands in the respective category and advise on trends, rejuvenations and innovations that have potential relevance to the brands in the respective category
• Manage any NPD, brand rejuvenation or brand innovation as requested by CSCS CEO and participate in, and advise on, any NPD, brand rejuvenation and brand innovation or marketing projects within the respective category as requested by Managing Directors or Marketing Directors of the operating companies
• Identify new product launch opportunities with countries through visits to markets and discussions with country personnel
• In conjunction with the R&D department, provide a resource to assist, as agreed with the respective country, in developing new products or range extensions
• Continual assessment of potential cost improvements and reformulations
• Monitor competitor activity and advise on strategies to effectively react or pro act to defend or attack the brand positioning
• Monitor the financial performance (sales turnover, gross margin, volume) of new product
• launches versus forecast and make recommendations to improve performance

Performance Indicators:

• Cost savings.
• Successful innovation and rejuvenation.
• Successful NPD launches
• Sound knowledge of global trends and competitor activity
• Sales growth

Responsibility Area 3:

• Advice regarding improvements in marketing, advertising and branding and potential innovation

Duties:

• Monitor overall brand performance, market share, brand awareness and consumer brand loyalty in the operating countries and ensure it is consistent with the strategy as laid out in the brand plans
• Make recommendations on improving effectiveness of marketing and advertising
• Monitor global trends in marketing and advertising innovation and advise on any potential relevance to the marketing and advertising in the respective category.
• Provide inspiration to country personnel to keep ahead of the competition in marketing, advertising and branding.

Performance Indicators:

• Compliance with the agreed brand plans
• Improvements in marketing and advertising
• Successful innovation in marketing and advertising
• Sound knowledge of global trends and competitor activity

Responsibility Area 4:

• Cross fertilisation of all success and failures of operating company advertising, marketing and branding activities across the group and cross fertilisation of competitor activity, in particular competitor innovation.

Duties:

• Monitor all group activities within the category and where relevant advise countries of activities (whether successful or unsuccessful) that can help them improve performance
• Monitor competitor advertising platforms and provide strategic advice to operations in relation to competitor activity across the group
• Regular cross fertilisation presentations

Performance Indicators:

• Group wide knowledge of the group’s activities in the category.
• Understanding of the competition and strategic threats and group wide knowledge of these.
• issues.
• Actions taken from cross fertilisation activities.

Relationships:

• Work closely with relevant country personnel
• Develop sound working relationships with regional directors, managing directors, marketing directors
• Develop sound working relationships with other departments, in particular R&D and advertising.

Experience & Qualifications

• Tertiary Marketing qualification - Master's Degree / MBA.
• Extensive classical marketing experience - 10 years +
• Extensive experience in managing Culinary or/and other food and beverage business
• Broad business acumen with a strong weighting towards professional marketing expertise.
• Experience marketing in Africa