Customer Category Controller, 12 month fixed term contract - Leeds

Are you a commercial category leader with a passion for nurturing customer relationships to unlock category growth?

Are you an inspiring leader of people who will galvanise a team behind unlocking category growth for your customers and making a positive impact across the organisation?

We are currently looking to recruit a Customer Category Controller to join us at our head office in Leeds. Reporting to the Commercial Development Director, you will be responsible for tailoring, planning and executing long term category plans and securing long term engagement with customers leading to mutual growth.

How will you make an impact?

You will combine market, shopper and customer insights to identify growth opportunities and execute these through outstanding category leadership initiatives. You will also collaborate closely within the category function and the wider sales and marketing function to step change our customer execution.

Some of your key responsibilities in this role will include:

• Tailoring, planning and executing long term category plans and securing long term en-gagement with customers leading to mutual growth.
• Leading a diverse team of 5 individuals, ranging from Executive to Lead Category Manager.
• Combine market, shopper and customer insights to identify growth opportunities and exe-cute these through outstanding category leadership initiatives.
• Collaborate closely within the function and also within the wider sales and marketing func-tion to step change our customer execution.
• Ensure Arla’s growth plans and initiatives are converted into brilliant execution that drives growth, positively impacts shopper behaviours and continues to build our Dairy creden-tials within the industry.
• Building strong customer and relationships and fostering collaboration
• Support customers in finding the growth they need aligned with Arla’s strategic direction.

What will make you successful?

• Leader of change: You should be proactive in creating your own direction and inspiring commitment both internally and externally.
• Strategist: You should be able to connect data and insights, think long-term, and possess a strong focus on converting strategies into actionable plans.
• Results-driven: With extensive commercial experience, you should have a deep understanding of the organization's and customers' commercial needs, and be dedicated to driving growth for Arla and its customers.
• Coaching abilities: As a leader, you should be capable of inspiring and leading a team to exceed performance expectations. You should be passionate about developing a high-performing commercial team and collaborating with the Director to upskill and inspire them.
• Comfortable in operations: You should be able to seamlessly transition between strategic thinking and actively participating in the execution of tasks.
• Relationship builder: You should have the ability to quickly build rapport at all levels and possess strong influencing skills.
• Execution focus: You should have a deep understanding of retailers' needs and be able to act swiftly and adaptably to maximize growth for customers.
• Category and shopper obsessive: You should have strong industry connections and a strong curiosity to build expertise around evolving shopper behavior.
• High performance & growth mindset: You should be open to continuous improvement as an individual and as part of a team. Your willingness to learn, grow, and support the delivery of the function will be valuable to the senior commercial team.

By embodying these qualities, you will contribute to the success of the company and help drive its growth.

What we offer

• Competitive salary (salary discussed at application stage)
• 26 days holiday & Bank holidays
• Bonus scheme up to 20%
• Hybrid working
• Pension contribution matched up to 6%
• 4 x annual salary life assurance
• People agenda commitment to training and development (internal & external )
• Flexible Benefits- buy up to 5 days annual leave, reward gateway scheme- discounts with various retailers via my benefit platform.
• Most importantly - cheese hamper at Christmas

At Arla Foods, our "Lead, Sense, Create" values thrive on diversity and inclusion. We are a famer owned co-operative and are all about being open minded, curious and learning from each other. We know that diverse perspectives fuel innovation, which is why we actively seek individuals from all backgrounds to join our team to help us lead the dairy industry into a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Would you like to join us?

If you are excited to shape the future of dairy with us, please apply as soon as possible.  Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. 

Please reach out to talent partner Oliver Hickson-Burr if you have any questions – olibu@arlafoods.com

Please note we are not partnered with any recruitment agencies for this role. We kindly ask that recruitment agencies do not submit CVs on behalf of candidates for this role, as these CVs will not be considered under the agency ownership and if Arla does progress with any such candidate, this will not amount to acceptance of the agency's terms. We encourage interested individuals to apply directly through our official channels.

We have a purpose for Good

At Arla, we strive to unlock the highest potential in each other while working together to create a sustainable future of dairy. We call it Stronger People Stronger Planet and it is deeply anchored in our organisation and founded on our commitment to respecting human rights, increasing access to healthy dairy nutrition, inspiring good food habits, and improving the environment for future generations. In order to succeed we need to hire people with a sustainable mindset. Could this be you?

BEWARE! RECRUITMENT FRAUD
It has come to our attention that there are a number of fraudulent emails and fake recruitment campaigns on the internet from people purporting to work for Arla Foods. Learn more via this link.