Category Manager [frozen & chilled]

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itsu is a crusading, dynamic, & fast-growing chain of Asian-inspired healthy food shops. itsu [grocery] brings the itsu vision into retail and wholesale worldwide.

itsu [grocery] has a strong presence within all major UK retailers, on track to taking the brand to £57m turnover (31% growth year on year).
Buoyed by the success in the UK, itsu [grocery] International have expanded into several European markets, winning some major listings in key retailers and going from strength to strength. With more ground-breaking products in the pipeline and expanding into new and exciting categories (and markets), this is just the beginning.

itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for all of our opportunities.

When applying for a role with us, please remove your: full name, name of University/School, address, email address and any photos of you on your CV and covering letter. non-anonymised CVs may not be reviewed.

the ideal candidate

itsu [grocery] are hiring: Category Manager [frozen & chilled]

the ideal candidate:

• An eye for detail
• Excellent communication skills to enable you to develop and manage a number of key buying relationships
• A flexible, can-do attitude with the willingness to work closely with others
• within a small team, a real self-starter
• The energy to work within a rapidly growing business that is constantly
• evolving and growing
• A true entrepreneur
• A passion for food
• 2 years + FMCG experience [category management, finance, sales, trade marketing]
• Strong Excel skills
• In depth understanding of the UK grocery market
• Proactive and creative problem solver

about us:

itsu is the healthy eating, Asian inspired quick service retail & grocery brand with over 70 stores in the UK and a leading grocery business across Europe and beyond. Renowned for its best-in-class food made fresh in every shop every day, itsu has huge global ambitions with a commitment to continue to open many more stores and intensify the growth of its already thriving grocery arm. With its best-is-class healthy food, latest technology, innovation, and talented workforce, itsu is the future of fast food.

itsu [grocery], which this role falls under, takes the itsu brand into supermarkets, health food stores, online, wholesale and internationally with products such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza & bao, brilliant'broth, rice'noodles & miso'easy to name a few...

D&I statement:

itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for all of our opportunities.

When applying for a role with us, please remove your: full name, name of University/School, address, email address and any photos of you on your CV and covering letter. non-anonymised CVs may not be reviewed.

scope of the role:

• Building strong relationships across buying contacts at multiple retailers
• Delivering category updates for frozen & chilled both externally and internally
• Tracking and analysis of itsu and competitor performance across multiple customers and categories, regularly updating team on NPD and performance
• Sharing data and key insight across the business using a range of data sources e.g. Nielsen, Dunnhumby, nectar
• Understanding of shopper behaviour impacting both itsu and wider category performance
• Tracking key food trends and working with our NPD, marketing, RGM and sales teams to drive and support insight-led innovation
• Line management responsibility for 1 direct report

what we offer

• Competitive salary
• Competitive bonus scheme
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Health insurance
• Company pension scheme
• Hybrid working (2 days wfh)
• Opportunity to work from abroad
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch
• Discounts at major retailers
• A sizeable training budget to support your ongoing development

we want to hear from you

• Ideal start date: July 2025

perks and benefits

• Competitive salary
• Competitive bonus scheme
• 25 days holiday+ bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Hybrid working (2 days wfh)
• Health insurance
• Company pension scheme
• The chance to work directly with the co-founder of itsu & Pret
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch
• Discounts at major retailers
• A sizeable training budget to support your ongoing development