Category and Customer Marketing Management Specialist

About the Role:

As a Category and Customer Marketing Management Specialist, you will act as the main point of contact for the assigned customers/categories, playing a key role in connecting Sales and Marketing to bring plans to life in-store. You will contribute to the development of the Company Plan (bottom-up) by providing ad-hoc analysis, generating actionable insights and supporting the team in identifying opportunities for growth via Perfect Store Concept.
You will actively support Sales in the preparation of customer offers, ensuring they align with overall business priorities. At the same time, you will closely monitor the in-store implementation of all agreed activities, maintaining clear visibility on execution and ensuring consistency between planning and reality, while driving continuous improvement through tracking and feedback.

Main Responsibilities:

Success in this Category and Customer Marketing Management role comes from the ability to translate brand strategy into commercial execution that meets the customer needs and brings business growth. You will play a key role in connecting strategic direction with in-store reality, ensuring every initiative delivers measurable impact and strengthens customer partnerships.
You will take ownership of the Company bottom-up brand plan, developing trade marketing plans in close alignment with Marketing for the assigned categories. You will identify brand opportunities and challenges per channel and customer, define listing strategies (permanent, in & out, exclusive) and establish clear activation plan guidelines tailored to each channel and customer.
A critical part of the role is Customer Analysis, where you will evaluate Ferrero’s performance across categories, channels and customers. You will identify key performance drivers, risks and opportunities, quantify growth potential in terms of uplift, margin and ROI, and continuously monitor customer performance. You will also manage cases of unmet commitments, collaborating with Legal to assess implications when needed.
In Category Management, you will act as the single point of contact for the assigned categories. You will develop planograms at channel level, define shelf placement guidelines, identify category growth opportunities at customer level, and deliver customer-centric category assessments. You will also guide secondary placements and support the coordination of merchandisers to ensure high-quality in-store execution.
In Customer Management, you will work closely with Key Account Managers to co-create strong, coherent customer plans based on identified opportunities. You will consolidate and validate trade activity plans, ensuring alignment with strategic guidelines, especially across listings, promotions and key initiatives. You will support Sales during negotiations by preparing customer-specific selling arguments, ensuring all required inputs are provided and tracking all agreed and refused activities, including proper documentation and archiving.
You will also take responsibility for the Customer Offer Process, preparing customer offers for each trade marketing activity, and closely monitoring implementation. You will track executed activities, flag issues, and develop ad-hoc monitoring systems. By analyzing in-store execution effectiveness (e.g., promo ROI), sharing best practices, and addressing execution gaps, you will drive continuous improvement.
Ensuring strong Implementation Tracking will be essential. You will collaborate with KAMs and Area Sales Managers to monitor in-store execution, ensure accountability through proper communication and evidence, and maintain full visibility of all implemented and non-implemented activities, proactively escalating issues when needed.
Finally, you will contribute to POS Materials & Co-packing, working closely with the POS Purchasing Manager and cross-functional teams. You will support the development, validation, and planning of POS materials and co-packing solutions, ensuring efficiency in cost, quantity, and timelines, while optimizing or managing leftover materials in collaboration with Supply Chain.

About You:

The ideal candidate brings 5-7 years of experience in Category Management or Trade Marketing, preferably within the FMCG industry, along with a solid understanding of how categories are built, developed, and activated across different retail channels.
A strong analytical foundation is essential. Working with both internal performance indicators and external market data (such as Nielsen NIQ and Euromonitor) is part of the everyday landscape, requiring the ability to turn insights into clear, actionable category and in-store strategies.
Confidence in navigating retail environments comes naturally, supported by a deep understanding of category dynamics and shopper behaviour. Experience with customer-focused activations and real-life implementation ensures that strategies go beyond planning and translate into tangible results in-store.
Collaboration plays a central role. Managing cross-functional projects, aligning stakeholders, and driving progress in complex organizational setups are all key aspects of the position. Influence without formal authority, combined with strong coordination and communication skills, helps move initiatives forward effectively.
A balance between strategic thinking and hands-on execution defines success in this role. Comfort with stepping into the field, including on-site market visits, is important to ensure that ideas are executed as intended and deliver measurable outcomes.
In addition to a structured and analytical mindset, the role requires very good MS Office skills and the ability to communicate insights clearly and effectively. A background in sales or marketing would be considered an advantage, offering a broader business perspective and commercial awareness.
Fluency in Bulgarian and English is essential, given the frequent interaction with suppliers and international stakeholders.

What We Offer:

Careers with caring built in - discover our benefits here.

About Ferrero:

Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies, with many iconic brands sold in countries all over the world. Find out more about Ferrero at ferrero.com.

DE&I at Ferrero:

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative, and highly rewarding.
Find out more here.