Head of Category

Who we are and what we do: LIPTON Teas & Infusions is the world’s leading tea business, home to iconic, purpose‑driven brands like Lipton, Pukka, Tazo, T2, Lyons and PG Tips. We craft great teas for every occasion, to bring joy and inspire a healthier lifestyle. Guided by our values of people first, ownership, passion for excellence, and consumer and customer centricity, we create long‑term value for our people, trade partners, suppliers, and the communities where we operate. If you’re a diverse thinker who takes personal ownership to connect ideas and make impactful things happen, someone who shares our values around humanity and courage and someone who enjoys a good cup of tea (on the house!), then we could be a good match! 🍃✨ Job title: Category Lead UK – Maternity cover FTC Work location: United Kingdom, Hybrid (London Office) Travel required: Yes (approx. 20–30%) Your role We are recruiting an externally driven Category Lead to join our UK team and lead category strategy while driving category growth across key retail customers. This role is critical in developing insight-led strategies, influencing senior stakeholders, and delivering category value through data, shopper insight, and execution excellence. The role will manage 3 direct reports and report into the UK & Ireland General Manager. Your key tasks Act as the expert on category and tea, leveraging data partners to deepen insights Lead category strategy development and execution across UK retailers Build strong relationships with key retail stakeholders Partner with Commercial and Marketing teams to drive growth and mitigate risks Deliver insights and category analysis to leadership teams Support pricing and promotional strategy development Translate complex data into actionable insights and trade stories Lead and develop the Category team Stakeholder Management and Key Interfaces UK & Ireland General Manager Commercial and Marketing teams UK & Ireland Leadership Team Global marketing and category teams Major UK retail customers External data and insight partners What you bring: Strong experience in category management within FMCG Experience leading teams Strong analytical capability (Nielsen/Kantar/Dunnhumby) Ability to translate complex data into clear narratives Strong presentation and influencing skills Advanced Excel and PowerPoint Commercial mindset with focus on growth Who we are looking for: Analytical and insight-driven Confident communicator Strong relationship builder People leader Commercially focused Thrives in fast-paced environments What to expect from us: We know that the whole recruitment process can be stressful, so we promise to make it as straightforward as possible. Our process is usually 2-3 stages (depending on the seniority of the role) and we are aiming to review every CV within 2 weeks. We are an organization committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. We are interested in every individual bringing their whole self to work and this includes you!