Trade Marketing Manager (Commercial / Category Focus)
Location: Maidenhead (Hybrid, 2-3 days per week in office)
Salary: £50,000-£58,000 + £6,120 car allowance + bonus (flexible for exceptional candidates)
Type: Full-time, permanent

About the business

A PE-backed FMCG business with a portfolio of well-known household brands, currently in a strong growth phase following renewed investment. The organisation operates with a lean, agile structure, offering high levels of ownership, visibility and the opportunity to directly influence commercial performance.

The role

This is not a traditional trade marketing role.

This position sits at the intersection of commercial, category and sales, with responsibility for owning how brands perform across key UK retailers. The focus is on driving growth – owning the 4Ps (price, promotion, placement, product), identifying opportunities, and working closely with account teams to deliver commercial outcomes.

This role is focused on commercial and category ownership rather than activation-led trade marketing.

You will operate in a lean environment with significant autonomy, effectively acting as a “team of one” within your area, with full accountability for performance.

Key responsibilities

• Own and drive commercial performance across key brands and retail customers
• Translate brand strategy into customer and category plans
• Lead on pricing, promotions, range reviews and distribution strategy
• Identify performance gaps and unlock growth opportunities
• Work closely with sales / account teams to influence retailer plans and execution
• Analyse sales and category data to inform decision-making
• Support joint business planning (JBP) and customer collaboration
• Operate cross-functionally with brand, supply chain and finance

Brand focus

You will be responsible for two key areas:

• Laundry (Calgon) – a high-margin brand with significant untapped growth potential
• Surface (Cillit Bang) – a brand experiencing strong growth following renewed investment

This provides a mix of turnaround / problem-solving and growth acceleration.

What we’re looking for

We are open on background, but the common theme is commercial capability and ownership.

You may come from:

• National Account Management (NAM)
• Category / Category Development
• Commercial Trade Marketing

You will likely have:

• Experience working with UK retailers (ideally grocery or similar)
• Exposure to pricing, promotions, range reviews and customer strategy
• A strong commercial mindset with the ability to identify and act on opportunities
• Confidence operating in a hands-on, less structured environment
• A clear upward trajectory in your career

What this role is not

This role is not suited to candidates whose experience is primarily focused on shopper marketing, brand campaigns or in-store activation. The emphasis here is on commercial ownership and driving performance.

Why join

• Step into greater commercial ownership and accountability
• Work in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment
• Gain exposure to both turnaround and high-growth brands
• Clear pathway into senior commercial / sales leadership roles