Category Executive Maternity Cover, Category Executive Maternity Cover

Location: Uxbridge, West London Department: Category - Brands - Meat & Plant Based Way of Working: Office-based Looking to Start Your FMCG Category Career? Have you recently completed a degree and gained experience through a Category, Marketing, Commercial, Shopper Insight, or FMCG placement year? Or perhaps you've completed a graduate programme within FMCG, Retail, or the Food Industry and are looking for your next challenge? We're looking for a Category Executive to join our Brands team on a 12-month maternity cover contract, supporting the growth of exciting food categories across some of the UK's leading retailers. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in Category Management, working closely with commercial teams, customers, and internal stakeholders to turn shopper and consumer insights into winning category strategies. What You'll Be Doing

• Building relationships with retail customers, including Buyers and Merchandisers.
• Analysing shopper, consumer, and market data to identify category opportunities.
• Supporting category reviews, range recommendations, and customer presentations.
• Creating engaging insight-led reports and category stories.
• Monitoring category performance and identifying growth opportunities.
• Acting as the voice of the shopper within the business.
• Working closely with Commercial, Marketing, Brand, and Customer teams to support category growth. About You We're keen to hear from candidates who have: ✅ A degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Food, Consumer Behaviour, or a related subject. ✅ Completed a Placement Year Or Graduate Programme Within
• Category Management
• Shopper Marketing
• Marketing
• Commercial
• FMCG
• Food Manufacturing
• Retail ✅ Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data. ✅ Excellent communication and presentation skills. ✅ Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills. ✅ A genuine interest in consumer behaviour, retail trends, and category growth. ✅ The ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders. Desirable
• Experience with Nielsen, Circana (IRI), Kantar, or similar data sources.
• Exposure to UK grocery retailers.
• FMCG, food, branded, or plant-based category experience. Why Join Pilgrim's Europe? This role offers a fantastic opportunity to develop your career within one of Europe's leading food businesses, gaining exposure to Category, Commercial, Marketing, and Customer teams while working with major UK retailers. Benefits Include
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Pension scheme
• Employee discount platform
• Ongoing training and development
• Exposure to senior stakeholders and retail customers
• Excellent career progression opportunities across Category, Commercial, and Marketing functions Whether you're coming from a placement year, graduate scheme, or an entry-level FMCG role, this is an excellent opportunity to build a successful career in Category Management within a leading food manufacturer. Apply today and help shape the future of our Brands - Meat & Plant Based categories!