Category Lead – Marketing (Food & Snacks)

Job Title: Category Lead – Marketing (Food & Snacks)

Location: Thika or Ruiru / Nairobi, Kenya

Our client is seeking a Category Lead – Marketing (Food & Snacks) to drive the marketing strategy and execution for a fast-growing portfolio that includes noodles, cereals, and snacks.

The successful candidate will play a leading role in shaping portfolio strategy, brand positioning, trade activation, and consumer engagement across Kenya and regional markets. This role requires a commercially driven marketer with creativity and a deep understanding of evolving food trends, consumer lifestyles, and shopper behavior across both value and convenience-driven categories.

• Develop and execute the annual marketing plan for the Food & Snacks portfolio, aligned with growth and profitability objectives.

• Identify consumer and channel opportunities across noodles, cereals, and snack categories to drive penetration and purchase frequency.

• Translate consumer insights and market trends—including nutrition, convenience, youth snacking, and affordability—into actionable marketing initiatives.

• Build long-term category growth strategies supported by data and market intelligence.

• Lead brand positioning, messaging, and campaign execution across the food portfolio.

• Develop and execute integrated 360° marketing campaigns spanning ATL, digital, social media, in-store activations, and PR.

• Ensure consistent brand communication across packaging, advertising, and promotional activities.

• Partner with creative and media agencies to deliver impactful campaigns that strengthen brand equity.

• Design and execute trade marketing programs that improve visibility, conversion, and distribution across key channels.

• Collaborate closely with Sales and Route-to-Market teams to ensure effective execution across General Trade, Modern Trade, and Institutional channels.

• Monitor promotional performance and optimize trade investments based on measurable ROI.

• Support retailer engagement initiatives that strengthen in-store presence and shopper experience.

• Support New Product Development (NPD) from concept creation through commercialization.

• Work closely with R&D, Supply Chain, and Sales to ensure successful product launches.

• Contribute to packaging innovation and product differentiation initiatives.

• Conduct post-launch evaluations and recommend improvements to strengthen future innovation pipelines.

• Monitor category performance using brand health metrics, sales performance, market share, profitability, and consumer insights.

• Use analytics to guide pricing, portfolio optimization, and marketing investment decisions.

• Prepare quarterly business reviews and performance reports for senior leadership.

• Leverage BI dashboards and market data to identify growth opportunities.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.

• CIM qualification or MBA is an added advantage.

• 5–8 years of FMCG marketing experience, with at least 3 years in food, snacks, or category management.

• Proven experience managing brands targeting youth, families, and mass-market consumers.

• Strong understanding of Kenya's General Trade and Modern Trade landscape, with exposure to East African markets.

• Demonstrated ability to manage agencies, marketing budgets, and promotional campaigns.

• Strong analytical, commercial, and execution skills.

• Experience in New Product Development (NPD), flavor innovation, and packaging development.

• Exposure to digital marketing, influencer campaigns, and consumer engagement programs.

• Familiarity with SAP S/4HANA, BI dashboards, or marketing analytics tools.

• Delivery of an insight-led category marketing strategy that drives profitable growth.

• Increased household penetration and purchase frequency across key food categories.

• Strong and consistent brand visibility across consumer touchpoints.

• Improved brand awareness, trial, loyalty, and repeat purchase metrics.

• Sustainable growth in category sales, market share, and profitability.

Ideal Cultural Fit

The ideal candidate will:

• Demonstrate integrity and accountability in decision-making.

• Collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.

• Bring an innovative mindset while maintaining strong execution discipline.

• Thrive in fast-paced, results-oriented environments.

• Take ownership of initiatives that deliver measurable business impact.

Why Join Our Client?

This is an exciting opportunity to shape