---
name: category-manager
description: "Occupational skill for the role 'category manager' (also: product category specialist, recycling equipment category manager, FMCG category manager, raw materials category specialist, general merchandise category manager, senior category manager). Use when the user asks for typical category manager work such as: typical category manager responsibilities"
---

# Category Manager

Category managers define the sales programme for specific product groups. They research market demands and newly supplied products.

## Core workflow


## How to use this skill

- Read [references/profile.md](references/profile.md) for the occupation profile and scope.
- Consult [references/tasks.md](references/tasks.md) for the full task and activity inventory.
- Check [references/skills.md](references/skills.md) for essential vs. optional competences.
- Check [references/tools.md](references/tools.md) for the software commonly used in this role.
- See [references/ai-skills.md](references/ai-skills.md) — matched external AI agent skills (per-source attribution).

## Key competences (essential)

- align efforts towards business development
- analyse consumer buying trends
- analyse customer service surveys
- analyse external factors of companies
- analyse internal factors of companies
- analyse work-related written reports
- apply strategic thinking
- channel marketing
- collaborate in the development of marketing strategies
- company policies
- conflict management
- consumer goods industry
- content marketing strategy
- coordinate marketing plan actions
- corporate social responsibility

## Hot technologies

- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Amazon Redshift
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Apache Cassandra
- Apache Hadoop


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## Hot technologies

Top tools from 58 gated job ads (see references/market.md, as of 2026-07-10):

- Microsoft Excel — 34 %
- Microsoft PowerPoint — 12 %
- Microsoft Office — 7 %
- Tableau — 7 %
- Nielsen — 5 %
- SAP — 5 %

<!-- hot-tech -->

---
*Sources: ESCO v1.2.1 (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/dab60fc6-c16e-4de7-b969-b323784f5a49), O*NET 30.3 (11-2021.00, manual nearest match). See manifest.json for licensing/attribution.*