Trade Marketing Manager

Actual Talent Open · verified Sep 10, 2026

Manager Trade Marketing

Mid-level Trade Marketing role at Actual Talent. .

Role brief

Growth Roles summary, based on the employer's posting.

What you'll do

Set trade marketing strategy for key categories and uncover growth opportunities in distribution, assortment, pricing, promotion and innovation
Turn market, shopper and customer insights into growth plans, recommendations and corrective actions
Work with Sales on customer strategies, category-selling stories and insight-led negotiations
Guide innovation launches and portfolio choices, including assortment reviews, SKU prioritization and distribution development
Align Marketing, Finance, Demand Planning and Supply Chain while coaching a Category Specialist

What you bring

Bring a degree in Business, Economics, Marketing or a related field
Offer seven to ten years in FMCG, with substantial Trade Marketing experience
Understand the Italian FMCG market and speak Italian and English fluently
Show category development and cross-functional leadership experience
Use analytical and commercial judgment to turn insights into action and influence stakeholders

Who this fits

You'll suit this role if you combine strategic thinking with hands-on commercial execution and can work effectively with Sales, Marketing and other functions. You should be comfortable in a challenging, fast-moving environment and able to lead, coach and develop a Category Specialist. The client is a global food company based in Barcelona, operating across Europe and Africa.

From the employer

Actual Talent is the talent acquisition consultancy that offers Executive Search, RPO and Talent Solutions.

About the client:

Our client is a global food company based in Barcelona, Spain, operates in over 50 countries across Europe and Africa, offering more than 30 local brands.

Job description:
Lead the Trade Marketing strategy and category development, of one of the company’s key growth priorities and most ambitious business challenges.

Act as a strategic partner to Sales and Marketing, transforming market, shopper and customer insights into actionable growth plans.

Lead and develop one direct report, ensuring the delivery of best-in-class category recommendations and commercial execution.

Key Responsibilities:
Category Strategy & Growth

Define and execute the Trade Marketing strategy for key categories.
Drive the growth agenda, identifying opportunities across distribution, assortment, pricing, promotion and innovation.
Translate market, shopper and customer insights into actionable recommendations and business plans.
Monitor category performance and identify corrective actions to deliver growth targets.

Sales Partnership & Commercial Excellence

Partner closely with the Sales team to develop customer strategies and winning category-selling stories.
Support key negotiations through insight-based recommendations and category expertise.
Ensure excellence in the execution of category initiatives across channels and customers.

Innovation & Portfolio Management

Lead the commercial deployment of innovation launches and key strategic projects.
Drive portfolio optimization through assortment reviews, SKU prioritization and distribution development.
Ensure innovations and commercial initiatives deliver sustainable growth and profitability.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Collaborate with Marketing, Finance, Demand Planning and Supply Chain to ensure alignment and successful execution of category plans.
Influence stakeholders and drive decision-making through a fact-based and business-oriented approach.

Team Management

Lead, coach and develop one Category Specialist.
Foster a culture of ownership, analytical rigor and continuous improvement.

Requirements:

Degree in Business, Economics, Marketing or related fields
7–10 years of experience in FMCG, with a strong background in Trade Marketing.
Solid understanding of the Italian FMCG market.
Previous exposure to Sales, Customer Development or Key Account Management is preferred.
Proven experience in category development and cross-functional leadership.
Previous people management experience is a plus.
Fluent Italian and English.

Skills & Mindset

Strong analytical and commercial acumen.
Ability to translate insights into business actions.
Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach.
Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
Results-oriented, resilient and comfortable operating in a challenging and fast-paced environment.

What We Look For

A commercially-minded Trade Marketing professional who combines strategic thinking with strong execution capabilities. Someone able to lead ambitious growth projects, build effective partnerships with Sales and Marketing, and successfully develop one of our most strategic categories.