Category Manager - FMCG

Role overview

This is a strong opportunity within the FMCG marketing space, offering the chance to work with well-known and fast-growing brands in a business that continues to perform strongly. The position gives you real ownership, the freedom to influence the role, and the opportunity to collaborate with an international team. You will also be part of a supportive Irish business unit that works directly with retailers and encourages a collaborative, customer-focused culture.

The division is led by a manager described as fair, calm, personable, and supportive, creating an environment where a professional and hardworking candidate can do well and grow.

Purpose of the role

The successful candidate will play a key role in building, developing, and sustaining long-term, credible category-led relationships with retail partners. You will support National Account Managers, the sales team, and the wider category function by using category knowledge and market insights to identify opportunities that help increase sales and market share.

This role also requires the ability to build spreadsheets, databases, and presentations that translate raw data into clear recommendations and solutions for the business.

Core responsibilities

• Lead category range review discussions with customers and help guide the business planning process alongside the National Accounts team and retailers.
• Design category management business plans that align with the customer’s broader commercial objectives.
• Drive category growth programs by working directly with retail customers to identify and act on growth opportunities.
• Convert data and insights into practical actions for retailers by reviewing, analysing, and assessing category plans and performance.
• Use market and brand insights to uncover opportunities for the sales team and explain how to make the most of them.
• Deliver business analysis on sales, pricing, and opportunity gaps that could generate additional volume.
• Support new product launches and assess their performance.
• Analyse new product and pack mix performance.
• Review merchandising effectiveness, including the impact of displays and promotional activity.
• Work with multiple data sources to deepen category understanding and strengthen recommendations.
• Use tools and datasets such as Nielsen, Talysis, demographic information, customer point-of-sale data, and loyalty data to prepare category reviews and internal presentations.
• Maintain databases and ensure all systems and platforms are kept up to date with the latest available information.

Success measures

• Contribute to delivery of the annual volume target.
• Help maintain the business’s reputation as a category expert in the trade.
• Promote and sell “Perfect Shelf” merchandising standards to customers and the sales team.
• Keep the shopper perspective central to every category project.

Additional information

All applications will be handled in confidence. For more information, contact Denis Mac Sweeney on 087 977 2742 or email Denis at denis@amicus.ie.

Knowledge, skills and experience

The role calls for at least 3 years of relevant experience, including a minimum of 1 year in category management. Strong familiarity with Nielsen data is essential. You should have excellent analytical ability to interpret information and turn it into timely, practical, and easy-to-understand outputs. Strong communication skills are needed to present findings, train others, and explain analytics clearly across different levels of the organisation.

You will also need a solid understanding of the consumer goods sector, including trade channels, customer groups, categories, competitor products, competitor strategies, and wider industry trends.