Category Marketing Graduate (2-year FTC)

Welcome to Haleon. We’re a purpose-driven, world-class consumer company putting everyday health in the hands of millions. In just three years since our launch, we’ve grown, evolved and are now entering an exciting new chapter – one filled with bold ambitions and enormous opportunity.

Our trusted portfolio of brands – including Sensodyne®, Panadol®, Advil®, Voltaren®, Theraflu®, Otrivin®, and Centrum® – lead in resilient and growing categories. What sets us apart is our unique blend of deep human understanding and trusted science.

Now it’s time to fully realise the full potential of our business and our people. We do this through our Win as One strategy. It puts our purpose – to deliver better everyday health with humanity – at the heart of everything we do. It unites us, inspires us, and challenges us to be better every day, driven by our agile, performance-focused culture.

A career in Commercial Excellence where none of us stand still.    

Our commitment to you is to provide a strong beginning to your career.  While you are helping people with better health and wellness, you will be gaining valuable work experience in a top multi-national company and building foundational leadership and business skills. At the end of this 24-month programme you will have a strong career foundation to build a remarkable career.    

We are currently looking for a driven Category Marketing Graduate. You will support the Category Management function in the development and execution of category strategy, insights and solutions to deliver profitable company and brand share growth, elevating Haleon brands in the face of our competitors and driving core relationships with customers.   

What will your individual contribution at Haleon be?    

1. Category Insights & Data Support

• Assist in collecting, analysing and summarising data from multiple sources (market data, shopper insights, sales data).
• Support in identifying trends, category performance drivers, and opportunities for brand or retailer growth.
• Prepare basic category reports and dashboards for internal and customer meetings.
• Build confidence in interpreting numeric and visual data to inform recommendations.

2. Support for Category Strategy & Execution

• Assist Category Managers in adapting global category frameworks to the South African context.
• Help prepare materials for category reviews, including analytics at SKU level, shelf layout proposals, and assortment summaries.
• Support the creation of category platforms and shopper‑led solutions across retailers.

3. Customer & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and external customers to provide data, insights, and administrative support.
• Participate in customer meetings (where appropriate) alongside senior team members.
• Help maintain alignment between category strategies, marketing plans, and customer objectives.

4. Technology & Tools

• Learn and apply category management tools such as Excel, Power BI, and planogramming software (e.g., DotActiv/JDA) with guided support.
• Support the team in using Shopper Science Lab tools and simulations (training will be provided).

5. Operational & Administrative Support

• Assist with preparation of presentations, POSM tracking, briefing documents, and category calendars.
• Support budget tracking for category POSM or brand solutions (under supervision).
• Ensure compliance with Haleon processes, policies, and reporting formats.

To recognise your dedication, energy and effort, benefits include:    

• A competitive base salary. 

• An annual bonus linked to performance. 

• Employee recognition through our global scheme which rewards exceptional achievements.  

• On-the-job experience and formal and informal training and development, delivered through a mixture of coaching, mentoring and formal training programmes. 

• Health and wellbeing programmes to take care of your physical and mental health. 

We’re the people changing the future of everyday health. So you will be someone who has:    

Technical Skills:

• Strong numeracy and analytical thinking
• Intermediate Excel skills (pivot tables, v‑lookup, charts)
• Comfort with data and willingness to learn new analytical tools
• Exposure to or interest in planogram software is beneficial
• Strong PowerPoint and presentation preparation skills

Soft Skills & Behaviours:

• Willingness to learn and curiosity about consumer behaviour and the retail environment
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Problem‑solving mindset with attention to detail
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast‑paced, cross‑functional team
• Growth mindset aligned to Haleon’s values and expectations

To enable you to perform in this future talent opportunity:    

Education required:   

• Relevant university degree (e.g., Marketing, Business Science, Commerce, Statistics, Economics, Consumer Science, Data/Analytics).
• No prior experience required, but internships or project experience in FMCG, retail, analytics, or marketing are advantageous.
• Good academic transcripts are essential, we will not consider anyone below 60%. Please note that you must provide your academic transcripts together with your CV when applying.   

Language required:  

• Written and spoken fluency in English. 

Please save a copy of the job description, as this may be helpful to refer to once the advert closes.  

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  

At Haleon we embrace our diverse workforce by creating an inclusive environment that celebrates our unique perspectives, generates curiosity to create unmatched understanding of each other, and promotes fair and equitable outcomes for everyone. 

We’re striving to create a climate where we celebrate our diversity in all forms by treating each other with respect, listening to different viewpoints, supporting our communities, and creating a workplace where your authentic self belongs and thrives. 

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are. 

 Job Posting End Date

Equal Opportunities

Haleon are committed to mobilising our purpose in a way that represents the diverse consumers and communities who rely on our brands every day. It guides us in creating an inclusive culture, where different backgrounds and views are valued and respected – all in support of understanding and best serving the needs of our consumers and unleashing the full potential of our people. It’s important to us that Haleon is a place where all our employees feel they truly belong.

During the application process, we may ask you to share some personal information, which is entirely voluntary. This information ensures we meet certain regulatory and reporting obligations and supports the development, refinement, and execution of our inclusion and belonging programmes that are open to all Haleon employees. 

The personal information you provide will be kept confidential, used only for legitimate business purposes, and will never be used in making any employment decisions, including hiring decisions.

Adjustment or Accommodations Request

If you require a reasonable adjustment or accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at Haleon at any stage of the application process, please let your recruiter know by providing them with a description of specific adjustments you are requesting. We’ll provide all reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process and treat all information you provide us in confidence. 

Note to candidates

The Haleon recruitment team will contact you using a Haleon email account (@haleon.com). If you are not sure whether the email you received is from Haleon, please get in touch.