EU Business Planning & Category Activation (H/F)

If you’ve worn a pair of glasses, we’ve already met.

We are a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames, and sunglasses. We offer our industry stakeholders in over 150 countries access to a global platform of high-quality vision care products (such as the Essilor brand, with Varilux, Crizal, Eyezen, Stellest and Transitions), iconic brands that consumers love (such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Vogue Eyewear and Costa), as well as a network that offers consumers high-quality vision care and best-in-class shopping experiences (such as Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Salmoiraghi & Viganò and the GrandVision network), and leading e-commerce platforms.

Join our global community of over 190,000 dedicated employees around the world in driving the transformation of the eyewear and eyecare industry.

Discover more by following us on LinkedIn!

Your #FutureInSight with EssilorLuxottica

Are you willing to pioneer new frontiers, foster inclusivity and collaboration, embrace agility, ignite passion, and make a positive impact on the world? ​Join us in redefining the boundaries of what’s possible!​

Your role

You will be in charge of Category Planning & Activation to accelerate profitable growth, activating all categories across countries to pursue profitable growth leveraging our Blockbusters and categories.

The Category Planning & Activation will work with Brand Marketers, Commercial teams and the Activation community to develop and plan category growth drivers and brand activation programs that will exploit growth opportunities for the category and our brands.

The Commercial Planning & Activation creates a competitive advantage for Company by collaborating, creating and communicating the brands physical availability priorities across On, Non & Off -Premise Channels. This role provides the critical commercial linkage, knowledge and support to the brand and innovation marketing teams to ensure brand standards, purpose, communications and programs are commercially sound, impactful and are grounded in deep shopper, retailer and RTM understanding.

Main responsabilities :

Accountable for category plans implementation and financial targets achievement per category via several operational areas of focus:

1. Feeding category opportunities identified across markets, channels, customers, shoppers into the Category business planning process
2. Creating and managing cross category plans budget plan across markets, channels and customers and coordinating category business results delivery, monitoring the category forecast across channels and customers, monitoring the performance, and managing the gap filling process.
3. Developing the insights and plans that will step up our sales capabilities, improving both effectiveness and efficiency through the implementation of best practice, while ensuring consistency in the approach across categories

Key Accountabilities In line with the job purpose will entail the following:

To identify category opportunities that exist across channels, customers and shoppers and feed it into the Commercial Planning Process, then translate the category strategy into a customer category vision (CCV) and strategy :

• The translation of each category strategy into a Customer Category Vision that is ready for the KAM team to tailor and share with customers to input into the customer joint business plan (JBP)
• The identification of category opportunities that exist across channels and customers
• The creation of insights into specific channels, customers and shoppers that can be fed into the category strategy and Customer JBP
• The customer input to Category Big Bet and NPD planning

Create the category business plan across channels and customers and coordinate the category business results delivery, monitoring the category forecast across channels and customers, monitoring the performance, and managing the gap filling process : 

• The category promotional strategy across channels and customers
• The category forecast across channels and customers
• The analysis of gap to target and the process to close
• The category performance across channels and customers

Translate the customer category strategy into the Picture of Success (PoS) by retail environment and all supporting rationale and customer stories:

• The category Picture of Success for each retail environment by customer
• Assortment (Must stock list (MSL)

Partner with marketing teams to ensure the delivery of the requested needs (Products, timing…)

Main requirements :

• BS or BA degree in Business, Engineering; graduate degree preferred.
• 10 yrs of Sales or Trade Marketing experience in international FMCG company: Mixture of both Traditional Trade/Distributor channel and Modern Trade/Key Accounts understanding, Understanding of Sales Operation principles, Sales KPIs and Sales force automation mechanics
• Language: French and English are required, Italian a plus

The successful candidate will be expected to be a high-energy, creative and resourceful self-starter who demonstrates leadership, communication skills and instincts with a commitment to excellence. In terms of personal competencies, the successful candidate must be a hands-on person who possesses the best combination of strategic thinking and drive execution to achieve tangible business results. In addition, he/she should possess the following competencies:

• FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT This role requires strong financial acumen to be a good sparring partner to the categories and offer customer solutions that fit their strategies
• PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Well structured, understands the value of planning and prioritizing actions for the company, Strategic thinker anticipates how market developments impact us and what we can do to anticipate and win in the market leveraging this
• UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER: Has superior customer understanding, can identify with various customer strategies, understands how a retailer operates and what role we can play to deliver customers strategy and objectives. Is able to create long-term competitive advantage out of this. Is able to build effective customer relations for the organization’s long-term benefits.
• LEADERSHIP: A confident, mature person with the ability to connect and inspire others. A proven track record of leading projects and teams that successfully achieve milestones and complete deliverables. Ability to operate in complex and matrix environment and proven ability to influence across organizational lines.
• COMMUNICATION – Communication is of paramount importance for the program as this process involves the participation of individuals from a different business culture. Able to articulate complex matters in a simple way to all levels within the organization. Experience of successfully presenting to senior leadership and influencing through verbal and written communication.
• TEAMWORK & INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: A team player and builder, receptive to ideas from others. Shares information and keeps team members and partners informed. Works effectively with others to identify and resolve issues. Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to interact successfully with all levels of management as well as a diverse work force.
• RESULTS ORIENTED: A driver who possesses the ability to take actions and implement effective solutions in a timely manner under tight deadlines. Excellent planning, execution and project-management skills.
• PROBLEM SOLVER: A creative yet pragmatic problem solver. Methodical and hands-on as well as detail-oriented.
• ETHICS: Highest level of professional integrity and honesty as well as personal credibility.