Job Title:  New Category Lead

Organisation: Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About the Company:

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) is the largest African Coca-Cola Bottler, accounting for 40% of all Coca-Cola volumes on the continent. In Uganda, CCBA is represented by Century Bottling Company Limited and Rwenzori Bottling Company Limited.

Job Summary:  The role will contribute to CCBU vision by developing and executing marketing strategies to drive growth, profitability and market uptake of new products. The New Category Lead will work closely with cross-functional teams in the NPD process.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct market research, analyze industry trends, and identify potential for new products.
• Create and implement business plans, sales strategies, and marketing initiatives to drive new products growth.
• Leverage category insights and cross-market learnings and develop custom activation plans that optimize trade marketing activities for
• local market demands and shopper preferences
• Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and customer needs to identify opportunities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop marketing plans and promotions
• Negotiate sales agreements, pricing, and promotions for new products.
• Ensure customer satisfaction and resolve any issues or concerns related to new products.
• Provide regular sales reports and updates to management on new products.
• Develop and execute marketing plans and promotions to drive sales and increase brand awareness for new products.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to develop marketing materials and campaigns.
• Analyze, evaluate, and communicate the new category performance across channels and customers.
• Generate promotional execution strategies to support new categories sales and increase uptake.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Minimum requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing or related discipline.
• Added advantage: Relevant postgraduate qualifications.

Experience

• Minimum requirement: 8 years relevant experience in FMCG sales, or/and marketing
• Strong understanding of the macro business environment
• In-depth understanding of the country beverage market and understanding and appreciation of the competitive and competitor environment
• Significant experience and/or exposure to development and implementation of business strategy with strong expertise in brand marketing, innovation process, strategy development, market segmentation and insights, market research
• Proven experience channel development

Competencies

• Decisiveness and Risk Judgment
• Strong service and work ethic
• Planning and organizing ability
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to build networks and relationships.
• Initiative and self-driven
• Good communicator
• Superior report writing and presentation