Category & Innovations Manager – Flours

Role Overview

The Category Manager – Flours is the business owner for a priority food category, shaping strategy and making the commercial calls that determine whether the category grows profitably in the near term and remains strong over the long term. Day to day, the role turns consumer, shopper and market evidence into decisions on portfolio, pricing, pack architecture and innovation, while keeping a close grip on the category P&L. It matters because it links brand plans, product development and cross-functional execution into one coherent growth agenda — and because it builds the marketing talent that will carry that agenda forward.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and refresh the category growth roadmap across short-, medium- and long-term horizons, converting insight into clear strategic priorities.
• Take ownership of category financial performance — revenue, volume, margin, product mix and marketing investment — and course-correct as performance or market conditions change.
• Commission and interpret consumer, shopper and market research to spot demand spaces, competitive threats, category gaps and growth opportunities.
• Manage brand, product range and SKU architecture, deciding where to invest, where to simplify and where rationalisation is needed.
• Set pricing, pack architecture and affordability direction with Commercial and Finance, balancing consumer value with margin delivery.
• Lead new product development from concept and business case through commercialisation, launch and post-launch evaluation.
• Build annual category marketing plans, budgets, investment priorities and ROI frameworks, then oversee delivery against them.
• Lead, coach and develop the Brand Managers for Grains/Flour + RTE/D and Biscuits & Snacks, while partnering with R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Procurement and Quality to bring plans to life.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Commerce or a related discipline.
• Minimum 7–8 years of progressive FMCG marketing, category or brand management experience, including at least 2–3 years operating at Category Manager or Senior Brand Manager level.
• Demonstrated ownership of a category or brand P&L, covering revenue, margin, product mix and marketing investment.
• Proven portfolio management, pack-price architecture and consumer-led innovation experience, including taking a product from concept through launch and post-launch review.
• Experience leading and developing Brand Managers or an equivalent marketing team.
• Food manufacturing or food-category exposure is strongly preferred, especially in flour, grains, staples, snacks or a related area.
• Knowledge of General Trade and Modern Trade in Kenya and the wider East African market is advantageous.
• Professional or postgraduate marketing qualifications are desirable, as is experience with pricing analytics, consumer research and NPD processes.