About the position
A leading multinational FMCG company is seeking a strategic and analytically-driven Cross Category Insights Manager to lead consumer insights and foresights across Sub-Saharan Africa. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced insights professional to drive consumer understanding, identify actionable opportunities, and support strategic and commercial agendas across multiple markets.
As Cross Category Insights Manager, you will lead the development and delivery of multicategory consumer and market insights, acting as the "voice of the consumer" to inform strategic and operational decision-making across the region. You will collaborate with category teams, marketing leadership, and global business services to deliver compelling narratives, foresights, and data-driven recommendations.
Reporting to: Area Head of Insights & Foresights, SSA
Geographic Scope: Sub-Saharan Africa
Travel: Required across SSA markets
Key Accountabilities:
Strategic Insights & Foresights Leadership:
- Lead the function's strategy for generating consumer and market insights/foresights, ensuring the consumer voice drives strategic and operational decisions
- Deliver actionable foresights on key cross-category global themes including total nicotine glidepath, poly-usage, consumer journeys, and consumption moments
- Lead industry glidepath view for Sub-Saharan Africa twice annually, partnering with global insights teams and GBS for tracking and analytics
Cross-Category Performance Analysis:
- Deliver quarterly narrative on cross-category performance including conversion metrics, consumer behaviour, usage and consumption patterns
- Provide insights on consumer growth drivers for nicotine categories and key markets, synthesising data from multiple sources
- Combine consumer and retail data with support from Global Business Services (GBS) team
Consumer Research & Studies:
- Lead multicategory studies for South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya focused on incidence and segmentation, managing agency partnerships
- Apply expertise in consumer research methodologies, understanding applications and limitations of various research tools and platforms
- Transform complex consumer data into actionable insights that drive business strategy
Digital Capabilities & Data Analytics:
- Build digital capabilities and integrate data analytics to achieve measurable, efficient, and agile insights delivery
- Partner with GBS team to develop innovative ways of analysing insights and data
- Drive simplification and agile ways of working within the insights function
Stakeholder Management & Communication:
- Manage internal relationships with Category Teams, Finance, IT, Emerging Markets teams, and external research/data agencies
- Ensure project execution and delivery on-time-in-full (OTIF)
- Lead strategic discussions with cross-functional teams, presenting compelling narratives backed by insights
- Translate complex data into simple, actionable business recommendations
Culture Transformation:
- Transform marketing culture through agile ways of working
- Drive simplification for successful agile environment
- Champion consumer-centric decision-making across the organisation
What You Bring:
Essential Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Statistics, or related field (Essential)
Essential Experience:
- Minimum 5 years' experience in Market Research, Consumer Insights, Statistics, or related field (Essential)
- Proven track record in consumer marketing and business transformation
- Experience working across multiple markets/countries (Sub-Saharan Africa experience highly advantageous)
- FMCG industry experience strongly preferred
Technical Expertise:
- Expert knowledge of consumer research methodologies – applications, limitations, and best practices
- Familiarity with research tools and platforms (quantitative and qualitative)
- Strong analytical skills with ability to define consumer journeys and leverage data and insights to develop strategy
- Solid understanding of consumer behaviour, market dynamics, and portfolio strategy
- Ability to connect consumer, cultural, and market trends to business opportunities
Strategic & Commercial Skills:
- Marketing strategy development backed by insights and foresights
- Strong budgeting and commercial acumen
- Ability to identify actionable opportunities that drive commercial results
- Understanding of conversion metrics and performance measurement
Communication & Storytelling:
- Highly skilled in communication and storytelling – ability to translate complex data into simple, compelling narratives
- Strong presentation and engagement skills with ability to lead strategic discussions
- Ability to flex communication style for different audiences and stakeholders
- Excellent written and verbal communication
Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
- Capable of driving agendas involving multiple points of interaction and stakeholders
- Strong agency relationship management experience
- Ability to manage cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority
- Experience working in matrix organisations with regional/global structures
Personal Attributes:
- Problem-solving through people – able to embrace challenging situations
- Agile mindset with ability to work in fast-paced, changing environments
- Strategic thinker with operational excellence
- Collaborative team player with strong influencing skills
- Results-driven with accountability for delivery
Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Desired Skills:
- FMCG
- Market Research
- Consumer Insights
