We have an excellent opportunity to join Nomad Foods as a Category Manager in Product Innovation. A newly created role to lead a team of Innovation Buyers and support NPD across multiple functions and geographical locations.

The role supports the NPD strategy for all Segments ensuring business requirements are met through procuring goods and services in a sustainable and ethical way, whilst optimising costs, maintaining quality standards and mitigating supply chain risks.

• Support NPD with innovation and leveraging both existing and new suppliers.
• Lead a team of Innovation Buyers to support NPD plans and achieve commercial objectives.
• Uses market intelligence to forecast both price and market trends, leveraging this knowledge in negotiations with suppliers to deliver value
• Leads the process to identify and select appropriate and compliant suppliers for their segment
• Owns the management of supplier relationships, tailoring the approach by segment, subsegment or product as required
• Enables successful changes to products & SKU rationalisation

We need a proactive self-starter who can build strong, meaningful relationships with stakeholders across multiple functions and multiple geographies, actively engaging early in the NPD process to ensure visibility of the pipeline and an understanding of business requirements. A persuasive manner with the ability to both challenge and influence internal stakeholders and suppliers alike are crucial. The role requires the ability to work in a fast-paced, but structured, project environment and a strong bias for action to deliver against tight deadlines and financial targets. The curiosity and appetite to challenge the status-quo are essential to succeed.

• Procurement / Category Management experience within an FMCG environment
• A knowledge / understanding of NPD or Innovation is desired
• Experience of managing and developing a team.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and proactive in communication.
• CIPS qualification beneficial.
• Proven record of delivering cost savings and improve commercial value.