Category Marketing Manager (Cross-Category)
Location: Southampton
Contract: Full-time (5 days/week) - 1-2 days onsite, rest remote
Length of Contract: 4 months
Rate: GBP500 per day (Inside IR35 - Umbrella)
Team: No direct reports - leads cross-functional teams
Budget: Influence over marketing budgets, vendor funding, retail media
Start: ASAP
Role Purpose: As a Category Marketing Manager, you will lead high-profile, cross-category marketing activity, shaping how the brand connects with customers at scale. You'll own end-to-end marketing plans covering brand and value campaigns, seasonal events, loyalty activity, and strategic services – balancing short-term trading needs with long-term growth. Acting as the central marketing lead, you'll translate business priorities into clear, integrated campaigns, ensuring alignment across commercial teams, channels, and creative partners while driving measurable commercial impact.
Key Responsibilities
* Own and deliver cross-category, insight-led marketing plans
* Lead major integrated campaigns (value, seasonal, loyalty, brand)
* Act as central point of contact across stakeholders and channels
* Turn commercial and customer insight into campaigns, journeys, and briefs
* Lead cross-functional teams and agency partners
* Balance short-term trading performance with long-term growth
* Prioritise activity, manage trade-offs, and drive clear decisions
* Oversee end-to-end delivery of marketing projects
* Maximise retail media and partnership opportunities
* Track performance and apply learnings to improve future activity
Key Skills & Experience
* Strong marketing experience in retail, FMCG, or fast-paced environments
* Proven delivery of large-scale, multi-channel campaigns
* Strong commercial and customer mindset
* Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
* Ability to balance strategy and execution
* Strong organisation and prioritisation skills
* Collaborative, resilient, and comfortable working at pace
* Continuous improvement mindset
#J-18808-Ljbffr