Category Manager – Speciality Bread
- Milton Keynes
- Hybrid
Location: Bedford / Milton Keynes
Function: Marketing
Reports to: Head of Category & Insight
About the role
We’re looking for a commercially minded and insight-driven Category Manager to lead our Speciality Bread category. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role where you’ll shape strategy, influence stakeholders, and drive growth across our retail channel and beyond.
Acting as the voice of your category, you’ll turn data into actionable insights, align teams across Sales, Operations, and Marketing, and build compelling strategies that deliver both consumer value and commercial success.
What you’ll be doing
Category Strategy & Leadership
- Own and deliver the end-to-end category strategy for Speciality Bread
- Translate global direction into a strong UK growth plan
- Create clear, actionable roadmaps with defined priorities and outcomes
- Act as the go-to expert for your category internally and externally
Work with great people
Skills & Requirements
Collaboration & Influence
- Partner closely with Sales, Operations, and Marketing teams to align plans
- Build trusted, objective relationships with customers alongside Sales
- Coordinate projects and tenders across functions
- Represent your category within the wider business and global network
Insight & Innovation
- Use market, shopper, and consumer data to inform category decisions
- Shape innovation pipelines and ensure NPD is insight-led
- Build compelling, customer-focused sell-in stories
- Translate trends into clear, actionable recommendations
Performance & Portfolio Management
- Manage the product portfolio to drive volume, margin, and profitability
- Identify opportunities to simplify ranges and improve performance
- Monitor category performance and adjust strategy accordingly
- Support operational efficiency and capability development
Market Intelligence
- Analyse competitors and market dynamics
- Provide insights to support decision-making and category growth
What we’re looking for
Experience
- Proven experience within FMCG, ideally in a commercial or category role
- Demonstrated success driving commercial performance and P&L growth
- Experience working cross-functionally and managing multiple stakeholders
- Background in retail; food, bakery, or foodservice experience is a plus
Skills & capabilities
- Strong analytical and financial skills with the ability to translate data into action
- Excellent communication and influencing skills
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery
- Confident managing complexity and competing priorities
- Highly collaborative with a relationship-driven approach
What will set you apart
- Passion for food – especially bakery!
- Curiosity for market trends and consumer behaviour
- A proactive mindset with a drive to deliver results
What to expect
- Working between Bedford and Milton Keynes
- Opportunity to work cross-functionally and internationally (including travel within Europe when required)
- A role with real ownership, visibility, and impact on business performance
Why join us?
You’ll be part of a collaborative and ambitious business where category thinking is central to growth. You’ll have the opportunity to influence strategy, work with talented teams, and take ownership of a key category in a fast-moving FMCG environment.
About the company
Lantmännen Unibake is a leading global bakery company within the Lantmännen Group. With expertise in bakery products for food service and retail, we serve consumers around the clock and across the world every day. The aim is to make bread and pastry a profitable business for our customers through tasty, high-quality products and innovative solutions and based on a sustainable mind-set and excellent food safety standards. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lantmännen Unibake operates modern bakeries around the world and has sales in more than 60 countries. The brand portfolio comprises a range of well-established B2B and BtC brands e.g. Schulstad Bakery Solutions, Schulstad, Bonjour, Vaasan, Pastridor and Hatting. Lantmännen Unibake has a turnover of EUR 1.5 billion and employs more than 6,000 people in 20+ countries. Appetite for more? More about Lantmännen Unibake
#1It goes right. Right from the start. New people start at Lantmännen Unibake every day. We’re used to creating the right beginning, right from day one. We’re ready for you.
#2Baking is a people business. Lantmännen Unibake has flour on its hands and people at its heart. The whole process of making everyday products takes team work, open-ness and mutual respect.
#3It's a group thing. Working for a global business is different. You feel connected to something bigger. Your team has a higher purpose. Ripples turn into waves.
#4It's about baking the future. We are taking baking further. Not just geographically but in terms of innovation. We have a proud heritage but we want to explore new products, markets and opportunities.
#5Diversity is a reality. Not an ambition. Not only are we global, we hire a multitude of nationalities. At the moment, your future colleagues come from more than 40 countries.
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