Category Development Manager – Plant Based

Shape the future of healthier eating in a customer-facing category role where you’ll influence major retailers, build compelling category stories, and help drive the growth of an exciting health-led food proposition.

Category Development Manager – Plant Based

Location: Northamptonshire (Hybrid – 3 days onsite)
Salary: Competitive package + car Allowance + excellent benefits

The Opportunity

We’re supporting a leading food manufacturer to recruit a Category Development Manager – Plant Based & Healthy Foods into a newly created growth role focused on leading the category agenda across its emerging health-led portfolio.

This isn’t a traditional Category Manager position.

Sitting at the intersection of Category Management, Customer Marketing, and Commercial Strategy, you’ll become the face of a growing proposition, translating insight into compelling customer stories that influence major UK retailers and drive long-term category growth.

With the portfolio set to double in size over the next 12 months, this is a fantastic opportunity to join a business investing heavily in healthier eating, innovation, and less processed food propositions, whilst helping shape the future direction of an exciting growth category.

The role offers genuine autonomy, visibility across the business, and clear progression opportunities towards Head of Category and longer-term marketing leadership positions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the category growth strategy across Meat Free and Plant Based products
• Create customer-facing category stories, range reviews, and insight-led selling materials
• Identify growth opportunities across range, merchandising, pricing, promotion, and innovation
• Translate shopper, consumer, and market data into clear commercial recommendations
• Support distribution growth, rate of sale improvement, and long-term category development
• Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Innovation, Finance, and Supply Chain teams
• Support innovation and renovation plans through category and shopper insight
• Lead category presentations and support strategic conversations with major retailers
• Monitor category performance, market trends, and competitor activity
• Build credible relationships with customers and establish Whitworths as a trusted category partner

What We’re Looking For

• Strong Category Management, Category Development, Customer Marketing, or Trade Marketing experience within FMCG
• Experience working with major UK retailers
• Background within Plant Based, Meat Free, Healthy Snacking, Fresh Produce, or wider Better-for-You categories
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability
• Ability to convert data and insight into compelling, customer-facing narratives
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Naturally curious, commercially minded, and passionate about healthier eating and consumer trends
• Confident communicator who enjoys presenting, storytelling, and building relationships

Additional Information

• Hybrid working – onsite 3 days per week
• High visibility role with significant cross-functional exposure
• Portfolio growth and innovation pipeline creating genuine opportunity to shape the category agenda
• Opportunity to become the recognised expert and face of the Plant Based proposition internally and externally
• Progression opportunities towards Head of Category and broader marketing leadership positions

Why Join?

This is a rare opportunity to join a purpose-led business that is investing heavily in healthier eating and category innovation. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping an exciting Plant Based proposition, influencing major retailers, and building compelling growth stories, all whilst joining a collaborative business that genuinely invests in its people and offers significant long-term career progression.