Senior Category & Retail Excellence Manager

Senior Category & Retail Excellence ManagerIndustry: Consumer Goods & RetailLocation: Düsseldorf, Germany | HybridEmployment Type: Full-TimeTravel: Up to 10%A leading consumer goods organisation is seeking a Senior Category & Retail Excellence Manager to accelerate retail execution, strengthen physical availability, and drive category growth in close partnership with key retail customers.This senior role will develop and implement retail excellence and category management strategies, identify growth opportunities, and translate category insights into actionable commercial initiatives. The position will work closely with regional and global teams as well as key customers to improve retail performance and strengthen category partnerships.Key ResponsibilitiesRetail Excellence & Category StrategyDevelop and implement Retail Excellence and Category Management strategies aligned with broader business objectives.Identify opportunities to improve brand presence, visibility, availability, and prominence across retail environments.Develop category growth strategies and compelling category visions in partnership with regional and global teams.Integrate Perfect Store and Category Management initiatives to establish best practices and accelerate commercial execution.Customer & Category GrowthBuild strong category management partnerships with key retail customers.Develop customer-specific category growth stories based on shopper, market, and commercial insights.Identify opportunities to strengthen category performance and create mutual value for the business and retail partners.Use data and market insights to influence customer and commercial decisions.Retail Performance & ExecutionIdentify key opportunities to improve Perfect Store performance and retail KPIs.Drive internal alignment around priority initiatives and commercial opportunities.Coordinate action plans, track progress, and ensure effective execution.Translate analytical insights into practical initiatives that improve retail performance.Training & Capability DevelopmentLead Retail Excellence and Category Management training programmes.Share best practices, insights, and tools across the organisation.Promote an external, customer-focused perspective across commercial teams.Support continuous improvement in category and retail capabilities.LeadershipLead, develop, and motivate a high-performing team.Foster collaboration across commercial, marketing, sales, and other functions.Drive cross-functional projects and organisational change across multiple markets.Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.RequirementsBachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.Extensive experience in Retail Excellence, Sales, Category Management, or a related commercial discipline.Proven track record of driving category growth across multiple categories.Strong understanding of retail execution and category management principles.Category Management certification such as GS1 or equivalent is preferred.Strong knowledge of the German retail landscape, particularly the drugstore channel.Established relationships with key retail customers are advantageous.Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional projects and drive change across departments and countries.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to drive commercial decisions.Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management capabilities.Demonstrated people leadership and team-development experience.Fluent German and English language skills required.Key CompetenciesCategory ManagementRetail ExcellenceCommercial StrategyCustomer & Shopper InsightsRetail ExecutionData-Driven Decision MakingCustomer Partnership DevelopmentCross-Functional LeadershipChange ManagementTeam LeadershipCommercial Performance Optimisation