Head of Category Management
Paulig Group
Are you ready to lead a global team and shape the future of food and beverage in Europe? Paulig is looking for a Head of Category Management—a high-impact leadership role where you'll drive category strategy within the Branded Business Area.
Paulig is on an ambitious journey to become one of the fastest-growing, most profitable food & beverage companies in Europe—and a frontrunner in sustainability. In their portfolio they have well-known brands such as Santa Maria, Paulig, Conimex, Risenta, Poco Loco and Zanuy. They are in the midst of a bold transformation, reshaping their strategy, elevating their ways of working, and unlocking new growth opportunities across the business. This is your chance to help lead that change—guiding a dynamic team and taking the category management to the next level.
Head of Category Management:
As Head of Category Management, you will lead the global Category Management function within the Branded Business Area. In this key leadership role, you’ll guide global category strategy, empower a high-performing team, and strengthen capabilities across markets. Through actionable shopper, consumer, and category insights, your strategic leadership will shape category growth across and outside Europe. Join Paulig on its ambitious transformation and growth journey as a leader who puts people, insights, and purpose at the centre of everything you do.
Key responsibilities and tasks:
• Lead and develop a high-performing international category management team.
• Drive continuous improvement in Category Management skills, processes and methologies across teams and markets.
• Develop and implement scalable capability-building programs to strengthen both team and organizational capability.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and across geographies to align strategies and maximize category impact.
• Translate insights into actionable strategies that support markets in optimizing assortment, pricing, promotion, and placement.
• Shape and influence category strategies and tactics at global and regional levels.
• Recommend and champion initiatives that drive category growth
• Ensure all activities and category recommendations are shopper-centric, insight-driven, and benefit the total category.
• Act as a collaborative and strategic leader, driving adoption of world-class category practices across diverse markets and functions.
Why join Paulig?
Paulig is on an exciting growth journey, aiming to become one of the fastest-growing food and beverage companies in Europe and a recognized leader in sustainability. In this role, you can be based at one of Paulig’s Nordic offices (Solna, Mölndal, Copenhagen or Helsinki) or The Netherlands (Nieuwegein) and you will play a key part in shaping how the company approaches Category Management. Paulig is on an exciting transformation journey and are reshaping their strategies and business.
You’ll work with beloved products that are close to the hearts of many in the Nordics, as well as with innovative new products. Joining Paulig means becoming part of an ambitious, forward-thinking company with significant growth potential and a culture defined by openness, collaboration, and inclusion.
Paulig offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.
Who are you?
You are a passionate leader in marketing and sales, known for your proactive mindset and visionary ability to identify emerging trends and opportunities. You thrive on developing high-performing teams and guiding them through change.
Your data-driven approach and strong analytical skills enable you to solve complex problems and make informed decisions. With experience in international environments, you are comfortable navigating matrix organizations and collaborating across diverse teams.
Knowledge, skills, behaviour, experiences
• 7+ years of experience in senior sales, marketing, or category management roles within an international environment
• Strong strategic and tactical business understanding
• Skilled in structured and pragmatic problem-solving
• Competent in analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability as a strong team player
• Effective leadership and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities
• Preferably holds a university degree in business administration or equivalent
• Fluent in English
For this recruitment, Paulig is working with Nigel Wright. Please contact Marie Drugge for any questions.
