Category Specialist - Milan

Actual Talent is the talent acquisition consultancy that offers Executive Search, RPO and Talent Solutions. About the client: Our client is a global food company based in Barcelona, Spain, operates in over 50 countries across Europe and Africa, offering more than 30 local brands. Job description: Support the development of the assigned category by transforming data and insights into concrete commercial recommendations, contributing to the optimization of key growth levers: distribution, assortment, pricing, and promotions in the office of Milan. Key Responsibilities: 1. Insight Generation & Performance Tracking Build and structure periodic sell-in and sell-out analyses by area, channel, and customer Identify performance drivers and growth opportunities, translating them into actionable recommendations 2. Optimization of Commercial Levers Monitor the effectiveness of promotional initiatives (baseline vs. incremental, promo pressure, ROI) Analyze execution and shelf quality, contributing to the definition of category guidelines 3. Category Strategy Support Contribute to the definition of the category vision (assortment, shelf layout, distribution, promotions) Identify gaps and propose corrective actions based on market evidence 4. Distribution Development & Innovation Support the launch of new products (distribution plans, channel/customer priorities) Identify opportunities to optimize the existing portfolio (WD, rationalization, SKU focus) 5. Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with Marketing and Finance to monitor performance and profitability Collaborate with Demand Planning to ensure alignment between commercial strategy and forecasting Requirements: Degree in Economics or related fields 1–2 years of experience in Trade Marketing within structured FMCG environments Technical Skills Strong analytical skills (Excel, data management, basic modelling) Good command of English (≥ B2) Mindset Data-driven approach with strong synthesis skills Proactivity and results orientation Ability to interpret phenomena beyond the data (lateral thinking) What We Look For Ownership of analyses and recommendations Curiosity and willingness to understand the “why” behind the numbers Ability to turn insights into concrete actions