Job Description Summary:
The Director, Category Commercial is responsible for connecting Category Marketing strategy with Commercial execution across markets and channels. This role ensures that category growth strategies are translated into clear commercial priorities, executable plans, and winning customer outcomes, driving topline growth, share expansion, and effective execution.
Operating at the intersection of marketing, channel, and franchise operations, this role brings the commercial agenda into the category thinking—aligning brand ambition, portfolio strategy, and channel/customer execution in a complex, bottler system.
What You’ll Do for Us
Commercial Strategy for the Brands (LRP/ABP)
- Translate long-term brand growth strategies into clear, actionable commercial priorities by channel and customer—guiding portfolio choices, activation focus, and investment decisions that drive sustainable topline and share growth.
- Drive horizontal and vertical expansion strategies for brands, ensuring competitive advantage is achieved across consumption occasions and channels.
- Ensure brand strategies are deeply grounded in shopper, customer, and execution insights and realities, balancing ambition with practicality to enable scalable, repeatable, and profitable execution across bottlers and markets.
- Co-create (with CoE) and align commercial execution guidelines for frontline teams.
- Drive ongoing feedback loops from customer, channel, and execution results back into brand strategy refinement, ensuring continuous learning and relevance in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Commercial Plans Development for Brands
- Design guidelines and guardrails on RGM levers like pricing architecture, promotional strategies, pack-price mix, and investment priorities, inclusive of mechanisms for promos (products, mechanics, guidelines, and business case evaluation) in alignment with brand positioning and growth objectives.
- Craft sampling and experiential activities to support overarching brand and commercial priorities.
- Develop high-impact activations recommendations in Key Accounts (KA) and channels, focusing on both major players and growth-driving hotspots.
- Ensure brand-driven differentiation between channels (Home, Immediate Consumption, E&D, Digital Commerce) while maintaining strategic coherence.
- Land roadmaps for commercial plans in sync with overall brand calendars.
- Ensure consistent execution across the bottling system, aligning brand initiatives with local market realities while protecting strategic coherence and scale.
System Collaboration and Leadership
- Shape brand execution approaches across bottlers, Franchise Operations and Channel teams.
- Develop and manage bottler incentive programs and contests to drive alignment and successful execution within the bottling system.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Work closely with IMX (especially Shopper & Customer Marketing), Insights, Commercial CoE, Channel and Franchise teams.
- Support key customer conversations with category insights and commercial narratives
- Influence senior stakeholders across global, OU and bottlers.
- Drive alignment and decision-making in a highly matrixed operating environment.
Governance & Ways of Working
- Follow clear ways of working between Brand Marketing, Channels and Franchise Commercial teams
- Use roles, decision rights, and escalation paths to reduce friction and speed execution
- Promote best practices and continuous improvement across markets
Perform other job‑related duties as assigned, in response to evolving business needs and market dynamics
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience
- 12+ years of experience in category management, commercial strategy, marketing, or sales-related roles
- Strong experience working in food & beverage, CPG, or similarly complex categories
- Demonstrated ability to operate in global, matrixed organizations with franchise or bottling systems
- Proven track record partnering closely with sales and commercial organizations
Functional Expertise
- Deep understanding of category management, channel strategy, and customer economics
- Strong grasp of how brand strategy translates into in-market execution
- Experience working with RGM, pricing, promotion, and assortment strategies
- Ability to connect consumer, shopper, and customer insights into commercial action
Leadership & Influence
- Director-level presence with strong influencing skills
- Comfortable operating without direct authority while driving outcomes
- Strategic thinker with strong execution bias
- Clear, concise communicator who can align diverse stakeholders
Education
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred
What We Offer
- Opportunity to play a pivotal role connecting Category Marketing and Commercial execution
- High-visibility role working across global brands, franchise leaders, and bottlers
- Ability to influence how category strategies show up where it matters most—in market and at the point of sale
- Competitive compensation, benefits, and long-term career growth opportunities
- Exposure to enterprise-scale decision-making in a world-class food & beverage system
Skills:
Brand Management, Category Management, Communication, Competitor Analysis, Digital Marketing, Finance Strategy, Financial Forecasting, Integrated Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Leadership, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategies, Media Planning, Microsoft Office, People Management, Price Management, Product Roadmapping, Promotional Strategies, Sales Analysis, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Teamwork, User Experience Analysis
Location(s):
China
City/Cities:
Shanghai
Travel Required:
00% - 25%
Relocation Provided:
No
Job Posting End Date:
June 13, 2026
Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.
