The HEINEKEN Company
Head of Category Development – On Trade
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Head of Category Development – On Trade
Function: On Trade - Category & Commercial Strategy
Location: Field-based
Salary: £76,000 - £86,000 (depending on experience) plus 15% of base salary as a benefits allowance (paid in cash) plus annual commercial bonus, in addition to full benefits listed below.
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Monday 5th October 2026
Please note where we receive high volumes of applications, we may choose to close the vacancy early so don't delay applying!
“This is a pivotal role for the On Trade, giving you the opportunity to shape how we think about our beer and cider categories and influence where we focus for future growth. You’ll have real scope to make changes, develop your team and work closely with some of our biggest commercial stakeholders.” – Neil, Hiring Manager
As the nation’s leading pub, cider and beer company and the name behind a host of brilliant brands, we’re looking for equally brilliant people to help us on our journey to building a better future.
We’ve got a great opportunity to join our On Trade team as a Category Development Controller, where you’ll lead our beer and cider category strategy and influence how we turn insight into commercial growth.
About the role
Reporting to the Head of Category & Revenue Management, you'll lead the development of our On Trade beer and cider category strategy, identifying where we can grow and setting the direction for how we develop the category across our customers and channels.
You'll bring together data, insight and your understanding of customers and shoppers to identify growth opportunities, build strategic recommendations and turn them into clear execution plans. You'll work closely with our customers to make sure those plans translate into action.
You'll also be the voice of the category in wider business planning, working across Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management and our wider commercial teams. Alongside this, you'll lead a team of 4 Category Managers, setting direction, coaching and developing them to deliver against our strategic objectives.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the development of our On Trade beer and cider category strategy, using customer, shopper and market insight to identify growth opportunities.
- Turn insight and data into clear category strategies, recommendations and execution plans that deliver commercial impact.
- Represent the On Trade category in Integrated Commercial Planning, influencing wider business decisions and ensuring customer and category priorities are reflected.
- Lead the category agenda at joint customer planning sessions, using insight and recommendations to influence senior customer stakeholders.
- Develop best-practice category and brand selling stories, sales tools and capability across our commercial teams.
- Build strong relationships with customers and internal stakeholders, managing expectations and creating alignment around shared objectives.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of 4 Category Managers, creating an environment where people are encouraged to challenge thinking, share ideas and develop their capability.
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What we're looking for
This is a senior category leadership role, so we're looking for someone who can combine Category Management expertise, people leadership, commercial thinking and the ability to turn insight into action.
You'll bring:
- Category Management: Proven experience applying Category Management principles and delivering strategic projects that have made a commercial impact.
- Team leadership: Experience leading, coaching and developing a team, with the ability to inspire, align and motivate people around strategic objectives.
- Insight to action: A track record of using customer, shopper and market insight to identify growth opportunities, shape strategy and turn it into practical execution plans with customers.
- Stakeholder engagement: Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with experience managing expectations and aligning senior stakeholders and customers around a common direction.
- Experience in a customer-facing or commercially focused role, ideally within the On Trade, FMCG, retail or another relevant commercial environment.
- A strong understanding of brands, customers and the beer and cider category.
- The curiosity and learning agility to keep developing your own knowledge and the capability of those around you.
Our benefits and rewards
- Annual bonus
- Benefits Allowance (15% of base salary taken as cash)
- Company-funded Private Medical Healthcare
- Double-matched pension (up to 10%)
- Meal and Broadband allowance
- 35 days annual leave (holiday trading available) + 3 public holidays
- Flexible benefits, including a retail discounts platform
- A quarterly allowance to purchase our delicious ciders and beers (low and no alcohol options available)
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…And much more! Check out our Why Join Us page if you’d like more information.
You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in our colleague networks, in which people from across the business connect to help champion diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring we’re continuing to give people a voice.
The application
If you like what you’ve read and are ready to brew a better career with us, let’s get going! We may close vacancies early where we receive lots of applications, so don’t delay!
If you need any adjustments made to support your application, for example, if you require information in different formats, or if you have any accessibility issues, then we’re more than happy to review our processes – please feel free to get in touch with us at recruitment@heineken.co.uk
You might feel that you don’t meet every single requirement for this role, and that’s okay – we all need the opportunity to develop and untap our full potential. If this advert piqued your interest, we’d encourage you to submit an application rather than ruling yourself out. You never know – you may be exactly what we’re looking for!
Who we are
We’re the world’s most international brewer and the name behind a host of brilliant beers and ciders, from Birra Moretti, to Strongbow, to Cruzcampo and many more.
It’s a fantastic time to join us. We’re leading the way in low and no alcohol innovation, pioneering new technologies to meet our ambitious environmental goals and investing in our pubs to keep them at the centre of their communities.
When you join us, we’ll back you to reach your full potential. You’ll enjoy unique development opportunities, unforgettable experiences and a reward package that goes far beyond the salary you receive.
If you want to hear more about life at HEINEKEN from our colleagues, head over to LinkedIn and check out the hashtag #LifeatHEINEKENUK.
There’s no better place to untap your future. Join us and brew a better career.
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