Assistant Category and Channel Marketing Manager

We at RCL FOODS have recently relaunched our purpose to “We Grow What Matters”.

We are a deeply rooted South African business, and we believe our country will thrive when we collectively grow what matters. Our purpose is anchored in a culture of empowerment and accountability, with uncompromising integrity at its heart. We are inspired by our unwavering commitment to "Grow What Matters", placing People, Growth and Sustainability at the forefront of everything we do.

RCL FOODS is on the hunt for an Assistant Category and Channel Marketing Manager with a passion for people, analytics, and customer service to join the Customer Marketing Division in Westville.

The purpose of the role is to provide support to the Category Marketing executive in creating and leading Marketing and Customer initiatives by country in the relevant category, execute category strategies in collaboration with the operations teams; define the Country Category Plan; and provide market, consumer, and customer insights for expansion into Africa and new markets.

3 important areas to specialise in:

• Category development - Primary part of the role is to use data (sales & other) and turn it into actionable insight which forms the foundation of impactful marketing mixes focusing on price, promotion, assortment, and cat man.
• Shopper and consumer marketing - Build customer or channel marketing shopper/consumer campaigns that can efficiently be delivered by the sales teams (internal & distribution) that recruit consumers to our brands and categories in existing categories and countries.
• Country Channel planning - You will be responsible for the development of the Customer & Channel Marketing Strategies in line with the category and brand objectives. Collaboration between the customer, distributor and internal stakeholders is critical to success.

Market Data, Insight Generation & Tracking:

• Measure and review total category (and adjacent) performance and customer profitability.
• Analyse and track customer and channel trends and in-market measures at the customer and channel level, such as distribution, share, price, and merchandising performance.
• Utilize above data to manage shelf health, price promotional mix, merchandising strategies and implement effective cat man.
• Build trackers and reporting dashboards to support business reporting and informs sales team to make effective decisions.

Strategy Formulation:

• Support the Channel Marketing Managers to formulate Customer and Channel Marketing strategies to deliver sustainable, profitable growth across key customers across the continent.
• Liaise with customer and brand teams to build the above strategies, then operationalize and implement those strategies through effective marketing tools that maximize the mix.
• Evaluate and monitor competitors and their activities and formulate proactive responses.
• Perform rigorous investment analysis and advise on allocating budget accordingly.

Operationalise The Strategy:

• Drive and deliver on customer marketing campaigns, inclusive of brand propositions, in the cycle process through the Country Managers.
• Develop channel and customer specific activities, including promotions, POS, site training/briefing information, merchandising solutions and products that generate real sales growth.
• Build and implement category planograms across customers to support and drive shopper journey.
• Ensure smooth operational implementation and tracking of customer marketing activities.
• Participate in the S&OP product forecast process to drive improved forecast accuracy for the business.
• Track brand and competitor prices across customers/markets.

Customer Relationship Management:

• Prepare, analyze and present category reviews to customers and interact with customers on assortment analysis, category performance and ranging.
• Co-ordinate, build and manage customer innovation days where applicable.
• Ensure that critical customer information is available to the customer team.
• Follow up and ensure that sales team initiatives (customer plans) are effectively implemented with the identified customers.

New Product Development:

• Project manage customer specific innovation.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams on customized NPD projects.
• Ensure all allocated launches have strong motivating marketing mix and launch material including but not limited to; POS, planograms, menu analysis, supporting recipes, and internal education and training materials.
• Ensure executional excellence and implementation through our distribution partners.

Financial Management:

• Manage allocated parts of the Customer & Channel Marketing expenditure budget.
• Manage and track ROIC on spend.

KPIs

• Achievement of SIA targets.
• Drive growth of the business through opportunities identified.

A degree or post graduate degree in Marketing and or in related Business Management.

A minimum of 3 years experience in a Retail & or Foodservice customer, channel or category marketing function.

Customer understanding and ability to work collaboratively with customer teams.

Experience in analysing various sources of data across channels, e.g. REX & Price Probe.

Ability to manage stakeholders across brand, customer & suppliers.

Project management skills to deliver on new product development.

Ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research.

Familiarity with latest customer & consumer marketing trends and best practices.

Organizational skills, experience in meeting tight deadlines.

Excellent communication and teamwork skills.

Attention to detail & a results-driven attitude.

Financial acumen.

Knowledge:

Sales and relationship management principles.

Product knowledge.

Market knowledge.

Research methodologies.

Marketing principles and practices.