Senior Commercial Strategy & Planning Manager at PZ Cussons

Function Overview:

• This role sits within the Commercial Strategy & Planning team within the wider Commercial function which consists of both Senior CS&P Managers and CS&P Managers.

Reporting Relationships:

• The role reports to the Head of Commercial Strategy & Planning
• Key working relationships with Commercial, Heads of Brand and Marketing teams including project leads for NPD, Category, Commercial Finance and Supply Chain teams.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop consumer-relevant pricing strategies across packs, brands, and channels to maximise market competitiveness and shopper value perception.
• Manage optimal price laddering and pack-price architecture (PPA) across the current portfolio, and support brand teams with strategic pricing recommendations for innovation and long-term growth.
• Lead the analysis of promotional effectiveness using data-led insights and performance metrics to inform future promotional strategies and improve ROI.
• Create, own, and maintain promotional guidelines ("golden rules") by brand and channel to ensure promotional activities consistently deliver commercial targets.
• Facilitate collaborative working across Marketing, Commercial, and Category functions through regular reviews and timely updates to drive alignment and integrated planning.
• Guide and champion pricing and promotional strategy for new product development (NPD) to enable successful market entry and long-term viability.
• Drive the commercial readiness of NPD launches by collating assumptions for gate sign-off and delivering customer-facing decks to support strong trade sell-in and launch performance.
• Lead trade spend optimisation through insight-led recommendations aligned with strategic priorities to maximise ROI, improve customer investment efficiency, and enhance brand visibility.
• Support the sales team in creating and delivering channel-appropriate plans aligned to strategic categories (grow, protect, optimise) to unlock customer opportunities and drive commercial success.

Criteria

FMCG Experience:

• Brings proven significant experience in fast-paced, consumer-driven environments with a clear understanding of category dynamics and customer needs.

Strong technical ability

• Experience in using category data sources such as IRI/Kantar/Neilson, and proficient in excel

Strong Commercial Acumen:

• Demonstrates a solid understanding of commercial levers and market dynamics to drive brand and business performance.

Data-Led Decision Making:

• Highly analytical and inquisitive, with the ability to interpret complex data sets, identify trends and insights, and translate them into actionable strategies that improve ROI and sales performance.

Innovative Thinking & Continuous Improvement:

• Challenges the status quo constructively by proposing well-structured ideas and creative solutions that enhance commercial delivery and brand competitiveness.

Strategic Storytelling:

• Able to turn insights into compelling, data-driven narratives that influence decision-making across the organisation.

Influencing & Cross-Functional Leadership:

• Builds strong relationships and leads effectively across functions, flexing communication and leadership style as needed. Confidently challenges with rationale, demonstrates resilience, and inspires collaboration.

Inspirational & Authentic Leadership:

• Acts as a positive role model who energises teams, sets high expectations, and fosters a culture of accountability and high performance.

Enterprise Mindset:

• Supports cross-functional performance by focusing on shared business goals and promoting a "one team" approach to success.

Creative Commercial Execution:

• Balances creativity and pragmatism to maximise brand performance within budget constraints, ensuring efficient and effective delivery in market.

Forward-Thinking & Curious:

• Thinks beyond the immediate task, proactively using data and insights to shape future opportunities and strategic thinking.