Job Description :
Job Title: Category Manager Beer and Premium Channel
[Which include total KBL beer portfolio and premium channels]
Level: 4B
Reports To:Head of Customer Marketing
Context/Scope:
- KBL is a customer-centric organization and has the ambition to be rated by its customers as the #1 Consumer Goods Company in Kenya. This will only be possible if everything we do is linked to the needs of our customers and consumers
- This is done as we continuously excel in the provision of compelling shopper and customer propositions aligned with consumer needs
Dimensions
Financial:
- Adapting brand strategies into programs that deliver long term ambition on net sales value (NSV) for Diageo, customer and consumers.
- Alignment of customer marketing and SUP plans into channel programs that maximize customer profitability and drive positive ROI
- Creation and oversight of programs that contribute to designated category/brands P&Ls and are critical to the performance of KBL and customers.
- Responsible for the overall beer category budget for in-outlet and channel programs.
- Measured against beer category and premium channel (beer focus) growth targets and the key battlegrounds related to the designated categories.
- Growth driver development in service of target share growth, but also drive equity and penetration growth.
Complexity of Role:
- Requires a person who is extremely organized, dependable and self-motivated with the ability to excel in a hands-on, fast paced environment.
- Disciplined & creative leader with the ability to bring to life Diageo’s world- class line of brands.
- Build strong relationships & expand influence to get things done at pace. This includes juggling numerous projects at one time and can flex their style based on the stakeholder/function you are interacting with.
- Ability to work within a complex matrix organization & handle ambiguity well.
- People leadership capability with ability to deliver through people ensuring clear understanding of capability needs and managing this in service of career growth.
- This role will lead a team of 6 to develop the most efficient and effective Industry leading Shopper Marketing Growth Drivers with a lens on channel growth and development.
Responsibilities:
- Partner closely with Marketing leadership to define and drive high-impact, scalable Shopper Marketing growth drivers across the entire beer portfolio for KBL, including category innovations and extensions that deliver long term growth.
- Develop and champion forward-looking strategies for the premium on-trade channel, positioning the business to capitalize on evolving consumer and market dynamics.
- Shape and influence trade strategy by identifying and unlocking value-driven opportunities and managing risks within premium on-trade segments and routes to market, ensuring alignment with broader commercial objectives.
- Own end-to-end leadership of the commercial beer portfolio (mainstream and premium), including the strategic planning and execution of the premium channel calendar to maximize revenue and share growth.
- Lead the commercialization and tailored adaptation of brand and portfolio initiatives into targeted channel and customer programs that deliver against aggressive commercial plans and Marketing Business Plans (MBPs).
- Create and scale large, insight-driven programs designed for execution across diverse customers within the premium on-trade channel, driving sustainable growth and competitive differentiation.
- Drive the development and delivery of customer- and consumer-centric programs that enhance traffic, basket size, and conversion rates, directly impacting top-line performance.
- Direct the engagement and performance management of BTL agency partners to uphold industry-leading standards, ensuring innovation, creativity, and excellence in Shopper Marketing activations.
- Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders—including supply chain, finance, legal, operations, distributor partners, and key customers—to enable seamless program delivery and business alignment.
- Leverage deep data analytics and insight capabilities to translate complex information into actionable, commercially viable in-store and on-premises programs, from initial concept through toolkit development to execution and measurement, all aimed at driving category growth.
- Lead the transformation and evolution of the Shopper Marketing team structure and scope, playing a pivotal role in defining new responsibilities, workflows, and ways of working to meet future business needs
Top 3-5 Accountabilities:
- Strong analytical skills and commercial acumen to be able to create and see to execution programs that unlock sustainable growth.
- Good presentation skills. Having a good data driven story to influence and drive decision making for direct reports as well as senior stakeholders.
- Ability to build adapt and/or build big, creative programs. To develop & translate customer & shopper insights into customer specific activities and programs
- Meet budgetary objectives and adjust project constraints based on financial analysis
- Consistently measure and intervene to make sure the programs deliver / exceed targets. Timely escalations and course correction based on judgement from the performance tracking
- People leadership capability in service of business delivery and most importantly ensuring achievement of long term career objectives.
Key Relationships: Commercial and marketing Directors, Sales team, Finance team, Marketing team, Procurement team, 3rd Party agencies
Qualifications and Experience Required:
- Essential Skills
- A proven track record in either Marketing and/or Sales (Customer Marketing)
- Strong creative judgment and good commercial understanding (of our customers and their shoppers)
- Strong understanding of channels, shopper insights etc. to develop brilliant shopper programs
- An individual who understands how to get things done within Diageo and has the ability to influence across a broad network of the organization –
there is some ‘thinking’ involved’ but much of this will be about simply ‘decide’ and ‘act’
- An ability to inspire agencies to deliver great work and ideally some experience of working with key customers
- Strong people skills and ability to drive positive culture.
- Desirable
- A business-related qualification
- Previous commercial management experience
- Experience in leading and managing change
Flexible Working Statement:
Flexibility is key to our success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported from day one.
Rewards & Benefits Statement
We recognise and value performance, offering our people a highly competitive Rewards and Benefits package
Diversity statement:
Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.
We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you’ll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You’ll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.
Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.
Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.
