Commercial Strategy & Category Planning Manager

P&P InterSearch is partnering with an international FMCG company to appoint a Commercial Strategy & Category Planning Manager for its local business.This person will define how the company translates its business and category strategy into customer and channel plans: where growth should come from, which commercial initiatives deserve investment and how pricing, promotions, visibility and execution should be adjusted to improve performance.Reporting directly to the General Manager and joining the local leadership team, the new leader will work across Sales, Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain. The role will bring these functions around one clear commercial agenda, using market, customer and shopper insights to challenge established approaches and identify new sources of profitable growth.The position leads a specialised team covering category, channel and shopper planning. It offers a strong next step for an accomplished Manager or Head who has already influenced commercial decisions across functions and is ready to take broader responsibility for the direction and performance of the business.The business challengeThe company is moving towards a faster, more agile and more data-driven way of operating.The new leader will help the organisation reconsider established practices, improve the quality and speed of commercial decisions and build stronger alignment across functions. The mandate includes identifying new sources of growth, improving the effectiveness of commercial investments and creating greater discipline around planning and execution.The successful candidate will join a business with strong brands, extensive market presence and significant growth opportunities. At the same time, the role requires comfort with change, incomplete information and decisions that may challenge established ways of working.What you will be responsible forLead the channel, customer and category planning agenda.Translate business and brand priorities into actionable plans by customer, channel and consumption occasion.Identify category-growth opportunities using consumer, shopper, customer and market insights;Develop differentiated approaches across Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, OOH and other relevant channels;Define category, assortment, visibility, activation and execution priorities;Support customer planning and joint business-planning processes with relevant insights and recommendations;Contribute to pricing, promotional and commercial-investment decisions together with Sales, Marketing and Finance;Evaluate promotional and activation effectiveness and recommend adjustments;Connect category and shopper priorities with forecasting and business-planning processes;Monitor market, category and channel performance and identify the actions required;Ensure consistency between strategy, customer plans and execution in the market;Bring Sales, Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain around a coherent category and channel agenda;Lead, develop and raise the capabilities of the category, channel and shopper-planning team;Contribute an evidence-based customer, shopper and category perspective to leadership-team decisions..What we are looking forThe right person will bring:Solid experience in FMCG, ideally within food, beverages, snacking, dairy, consumer goods or another execution-intensive category. Relevant experience in Revenue Growth Management or Commercial Excellence can be valuable, provided it is combined with a strong understanding of categories, shoppers, customers and market execution.We are particularly interested in candidates who have:Developed category, shopper or channel strategies in a complex FMCG environment;Translated consumer and brand priorities into actionable customer plans;Worked across several channels and customer formats;Used market and shopper insights to influence business decisions;Contributed meaningfully to promotional, pricing or investment choices;Worked closely with both Marketing and Sales;Influenced senior stakeholders across different functions;Led and developed a team of experienced specialists;Contributed to transformation or challenged established approaches constructively.Fluency in Romanian and English.The leadership profileWe are looking for a commercially astute and influential leader who brings clarity to complex business decisions and creates alignment across functions.The successful candidate will:apply sound judgement to identify the priorities that will have the greatest impact on growth and profitability;build a clear point of view from market evidence, customer dynamics and performance data;influence senior stakeholders and challenge established assumptions with confidence and credibility;make timely decisions, including difficult trade-offs around priorities, investments and resources;lead change through ambiguity and maintain momentum when facing organisational resistance;take an enterprise-wide perspective, balancing the priorities of customers, brands, channels and functions;set high standards of accountability while building trust and constructive collaboration;develop a capable, independent team and address performance or capability gaps decisively;translate strategic choices into focused execution and remain accountable for measurable business outcomes.Why consider this opportunityA visible role with direct exposure to the General Manager and leadership team.Genuine influence over the company’s commercial direction.Responsibility across customers, categories and channels.The opportunity to shape processes and ways of working rather than simply inherit them.A strong platform for an accomplished Senior Manager or Head ready to step into a broader business leadership position.Access to international expertise and opportunities to exchange practices across markets.A business environment that values ownership, speed, learning and constructive challenge.Interested?If your experience is relevant and you would like to explore the opportunity, please apply with your English CV.If the role is not suitable for you but you know a strong commercial professional who may be relevant, we welcome confidential recommendations.All applications and conversations will be handled with complete discretion by P&P InterSearch.