Category Strategy & Planning Manager

Looking for Your Dream Job? Join The Magnum Ice Cream Company! Category Strategy & Planning ManagerScope: Full timeLocation: Tour & Taxis – Brussels, BelgiumTerms & Conditions: Local conditions apply For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position and for this vacancy in principle we will consider candidates based in the set locations. If you are based outside of these locations and you are interested to apply, please feel free to do so but at this stage we will not take your application forward. We will only consider your application if a decision is made to also recruit outside of the set locations.The Ice Cream division at Unilever is preparing to stand on its own, aiming to become an independent, EUR 8.3 billion publicly listed company by the end of 2025. We’re on a mission to create the ultimate snacking company. A place where growth, innovation, founder and ownership mentality, and performance are cultivated and rewarded. And where we craft extraordinary ice cream experiences - transforming ordinary moments into lasting memories. Because we know, life tastes better with ice cream.About The Magnum Ice Cream CompanyThe Magnum Ice Cream Company is all about growth. Growing our business. Growing our customers’ businesses. Growing our people’s careers. Growth begins with empowerment. So, we free our people to be innovative, responsible entrepreneurs, driven and equipped to give our consumers more amazing products and unforgettable moments – and having fun doing it.   With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Magnum, Ola, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.  We have been taking pleasure seriously for more than 100 years, serving happiness with every lick or scoop of ice cream for generations.  We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of The Magnum Ice Cream Company as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen before the end of 2025.  We dream big but keep things simple to act fast.  If you want to grow with us, make an impact, and shape the future of Ice Cream, this is the place for you! Job PurposeThe Category Strategy and Planning team (CSP) is sitting at the very centre of Strategy and Operations of our business. As the CSP Manager, your main objective will be to develop and execute comprehensive strategies based on clear analysis and insights to optimize customer relationships and drive sustainable growth, both in the In-Home (IH) and Out-Of-Home (OOH) channel. You will be the one that owns and leads the operational side of the business, being responsible for creating and implementing customer-specific plans, leveraging insights from category analysis, shopper trends, and market dynamics to unlock win-win opportunities. To succeed in your role, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (marketing, sales & supply) to ensure alignment and effectiveness in executionThe role will report directly in the CSP lead BE and includes 1 direct report.Key ResponsibilitiesCustomer & Category StrategyBuild category expertise internally and externally, on both IH and OOH Cocreating & implementing category growth strategies with key customers Trade category plan creation for strategy days Define data-based growth opportunities for our key customers Cocreate compelling trade stories with our sales & marketing colleagues Channel Strategy Define the Ice Cream channel strategy with a clear role for each customer (IH/OOH) Define key shopper job-to-be-done Competitor deepdives What You Need To SucceedEXPERIENCE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATION: >5 years combined experience commercial and/or category role within FMCG Experience in developing and implementing customer strategies, including pricing, promotions, planogram and assortment optimization. Ability to build business cases & properly read a P&L French or Dutch, and English Compelling presentation skills Excellent verbal and written English Skills       Mastery of Nielsen data, Excel, PPT. Power BI is a plus LeadershipAnalytical mindset, comfortable with data Eager to learn and to teach others Highly motivated team-player  Strong passion for a fact-based understanding of the market, customer and shopper needs What You Can ExpectA unique mix of global scale & start-up spirit—€8.3bn powerhouse with an agile, entrepreneurial mindset. We’re building a new high growth Ice Cream company from the ground up, investing in our assets to go beyond. Career without limits—42 markets, international opportunities, and fast-tracked growth. A performance-driven culture—Freedom to act, disrupt and grow – your success is measured by impact. A company that celebrates joy, innovation, and purpose—We create extraordinary careers, just like our ice cream creates extraordinary moments. Additional InformationAs publicly announced, Unilever will separate its Ice Cream business which is expected by the end of 2025. This role will transfer to the new Ice Cream company. Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. ARE YOU EXCITED TO CRAFT THE ICE CREAM FUTURE?To apply, you must do so online. Please do not forget to upload your CV and a motivation letter.  Your application will be reviewed against our requirements, and we will be in touch shortly after the closing date to provide you with an update on the status of your application.Disclaimer Equal Opportunity Employer: Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. We take pleasure seriously. Join the Ice Cream team now!Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.