Category Manager

**Introduction**:
Our mission is to make fresh fruits and vegetables a more loved and essential part of everyone's life.
Perfection Fresh is one of Australia’s largest privately owned fresh produce companies that’s been on an exciting journey of innovation and growth since 1978.
We’re an Australian-based business that grows, packs, and markets fresh produce both domestically and internationally. You’ll recognize our produce - Qukes®, Broccolini®, Calypso® mangoes, and more.
Our history 45-year history is one of continuous progress. We’re the market leader in our field and we’ve been listed on the Australian Financial Review’s top 100 private companies in Australia.
We employ more than 2,000 people across a portfolio of farming sites, high-tech production facilities, research, corporate offices, and national logistics operations.
**Description**:
Category Management
- Contribute to, review, action, and meet the category plan relating to sales, such as volumes to meet orders, in specification quality, sales projections, marketing & promotional plans, and net gross profit targets
- Develop sales projections/volume targets:

- Provide accurate and timely sales forecasts to the supply lead
- Regularly review and update all forecasts/projections
- With the supply lead, develop clear long-term volume requirements and assist with supply strategy development
- Regularly (daily/weekly) evaluate and measure the sales and profit performance of the category to ensure targets are met.

Sales Growth Management
- Drive sales growth to achieve increased profitability
- With the support of the New Product Development (NPD) team and category manager, research and provide recommendations in relation to new/potential product lines or product line extensions
- Propose suitable products in order to maintain the growth and quality of revenue (Net Gross Profit)

Customer Management
- Actively manage all customers (external customers and sales floors)
- Develop and implement specific customer management plans
- Determine/plan customer present and future product needs
- Adhere to customer management principles, protocols and processes
- With the Group Marketing Manager and Category Manager, prepare and manage the customer’s marketing/promotional plan and related customer budget and conduct post-promotional reviews

Price Management
- Manage and maximize sales prices and NGP
- Understand retail price point
- Provide advice on potential retail price points to assist the Supply and Category Manager on payback price
- Maximise final sales price to obtain the best NGP
- Determine, confirm, and input all non-schedule product paybacks

Grower Relationships
- Maintain and improve non-scheduled product grower relationships and grower performance
- Accurate communication to growers on supply volumes, quality and pricing of their products
- Ensure accurate and timely formal notification to non-schedule product growers of the payback

Team Participation
- Actively participate in all internal meetings and as required with customers and communicate outcomes back to the category team
- Undertake timely and prompt communication to all team members/stakeholders of any sales or customer issues or changes
- As a team member actively participate in the development and successful performance of the team

INTERNAL CONTACTS
**The position is required to communicate with**:

- Category manager and team members
- Category support team
- Company farms
- Finance Team

EXTERNAL CONTACTS
**The position is required to communicate externally with**:

- Customers
- Suppliers (strategically aligned grower network)

**Skills and Experiences**:
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Tertiary qualifications in agriculture, horticulture, or other rural studies or equivalent
- 3-5 years experience in either supply and/or sales in a related industry
- High-level verbal and written communication skills
- High-level consultation, negotiation, and influence skills
- Well-developed data analysis and related interpretation capability
- Ability to build and maintain sound professional relationships with internal and external customers and suppliers