UK

United Kingdom · Marketing · Senior (5-8 years)

Senior Trade Marketing Executive

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandSenior (5-8 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toTrade Marketing Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually a professional owning their own work, or leading a small team

Also advertised as Senior Shopper Marketing Manager · Category Manager (Retail) · Key Account Marketing Lead

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

No confident skill match yet for Senior Trade Marketing Executive. The closest we hold is below.

OCNLR Level 4 Diploma in Digital Marketing OCN London · Level 4 · covers 1 of 1 standard

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Social Media Marketing OCNLR Level 4 Diploma in Digital Marketing
Content Marketing OCNLR Level 4 Award in Content Marketing
Digital Marketing Gateway Qualifications Level 2 Award in Digital Marketing

The future skills this job leans on

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Start my Senior Trade Marketing Executive plan, free
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Senior Trade Marketing Executive

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Social Media Marketing OCN London · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 4
  2. Content Marketing OCN London · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 4
  3. Digital Marketing Gateway Qualifications Limited · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Senior Trade Marketing Executive?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • Advanced Retail Media Network (RMN) Optimisation
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Senior Trade Marketing Executive plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This job plans how brands appear in shops and online, working with a few key retail accounts. It covers in-store and online presence, working with sales and brand teams to build plans that get products noticed and bought.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

NielsenIQ / Circana (IRI) Advanced

Building custom reports, conducting deep-dive analysis on promotional lift and cannibalisation, identifying market trends, and preparing data for JBP presentations.

Tableau / Power BI Advanced

Creating new dashboards to track promotional performance, JBP progress, and category health. Connecting multiple data sources to visualise insights for internal and external stakeholders.

UpClear (BluePlanner) / Exceedra (TPM system) Expert

Managing the entire promotion lifecycle, running ROI scenarios for proposed activities, training sales teams on system usage, and troubleshooting any issues with promotional entries or accruals.

Salesforce (Partner Communities) / Impartner (PRM system) Advanced

Using the system to manage JBP tracking, assigning tasks to cross-functional teams related to retailer initiatives, and building reports on partner engagement and activity.

Bynder / Canto / Brandfolder (DAM system) Advanced

Managing asset permissions for different retail partners, ensuring brand consistency across all materials, and curating specific collections of creative assets for upcoming campaigns or promotions.

Asana / Monday.com / Smartsheet (Project Management) Expert

Building and managing complex project plans for major initiatives like category resets or large JBP programmes, ensuring all tasks are on track and deadlines are met across multiple teams.

Microsoft Excel (Power Query, PivotTables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP) Expert

Building complex models for promotional forecasting and ROI analysis, automating routine reporting with Power Query, and manipulating large datasets from retailers for deep-dive analysis.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Promotional Mechanic Selection (e.g., BOGO, TPR, Multibuy) Proposes options based on templates, requires full approval from manager. Recommends and justifies choices for routine promotions, manager reviews and approves. Makes independent decisions for most promotions within agreed JBP, consults manager on high-risk or novel mechanics.
Trade Marketing Budget Allocation (within assigned accounts) Tracks spend against budget, flags discrepancies to manager. Manages budget for specific promotions, seeks approval for any overspend. Recommends budget allocation for entire account JBP (up to £25K for individual promo spend), manager approves final plan. Adjusts spend within agreed parameters.
Retailer Communication (e.g., confirming promo details, addressing issues) Drafts communications for manager review, manager sends. Communicates routine updates directly with retail counterparts, escalates complex issues. Leads all direct communication with key retail buyers, proactively manages relationships and resolves issues, informs manager of significant developments.
Shopper Marketing Initiative Design Supports with asset collation, follows design brief. Develops initial concepts for manager review, coordinates agency work. Designs and develops full shopper marketing programmes, working with Brand and agencies, seeks manager approval for significant investment or brand guideline deviations.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Promotional ROI (Return on Investment)
The financial return generated from your managed trade marketing spend.
Target · Achieve a minimum 1.2 ROI on managed promotional spend for your key accounts.

You run a BOGO promotion that costs £50K, but it generates £70K in incremental profit. Your ROI is 1.4, hitting the target.

Market Share Growth in Key Accounts
The percentage increase in our brand's share within the categories you manage at your assigned retail partners.
Target · Grow market share by +50 basis points (0.5%) in key accounts over a 12-month period.

If our brand's share in Tesco's biscuits category goes from 8.0% to 8.5% in a year, you've hit the target.

Forecast Accuracy for Promotional Volume
How close your predicted sales volume for promotions is to the actual sales achieved.
Target · Improve forecast accuracy for promotional volume to +/- 15% variance.

You predicted a promotion would sell 100,000 units; if it sells between 85,000 and 115,000, you're within target. This helps Supply Chain plan properly.

Joint Business Plan (JBP) Target Achievement
The percentage of mutually agreed-upon growth targets achieved with your key retail partners.
Target · Achieve 90% of JBP growth targets for your assigned accounts.

If the JBP with Sainsbury's set a 10% growth target for your category, you'd aim to hit at least 9%.

Retailer Relationship Strength
How well you build and maintain strategic relationships with key retail buyers and category teams.
  • You're proactively consulted on category reviews and new initiatives by the retailer. The Sales team trusts you to represent our brand effectively. You get early insights into retailer plans. They see you as a partner, not just a vendor.
Proactive Problem-Solving & Adaptability
Your ability to anticipate issues and find practical solutions when things inevitably go wrong in retail execution.
  • When a display shipment is delayed, you've already got a Plan B with the field team. You identify potential budget shortfalls early and propose alternative solutions. You don't just report problems
  • you come with solutions, even if they're not perfect.
Internal Stakeholder Satisfaction
How effectively you collaborate and communicate with internal teams like Sales, Brand, and Finance.
  • Sales managers consistently praise your support and the quality of your sell-in materials. Brand teams feel their equity is protected while commercial goals are met. Finance trusts your budget management and ROI calculations. You're seen as a bridge, not a bottleneck.
Strategic Influence & Thought Leadership
Your ability to influence internal and external partners with data-driven insights and compelling arguments.
  • Your recommendations on promotional mechanics or planogram changes are frequently adopted. You're invited to contribute to broader commercial strategy discussions. You're seen as an expert in your assigned categories and accounts.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Seeing Your Strategy Come to Life

You get a real buzz from walking into a supermarket and seeing a display you designed, or knowing that a promotion you planned is driving sales. It's about tangible results, not just theoretical plans.

You've just finished a store visit, seeing your new product launch executed perfectly with the displays you designed. You know the sales numbers will follow.

Solving Complex Commercial Puzzles

You enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to grow a brand within the constraints of retailer demands, budget limitations, and brand guidelines. It's like a constant, high-stakes game of chess.

You're presented with a tricky situation: a key retailer wants a promotion that's too expensive. You love digging into the data to find a creative, profitable alternative that works for everyone.

Building Strong Relationships

You genuinely enjoy working with people, whether it's collaborating with the sales team, negotiating with a retail buyer, or presenting to senior leadership. You thrive on being the central point of contact.

You've just had a productive meeting with a retail buyer, where you've not only agreed on the next quarter's plan but also shared some insights that genuinely helped their category.

What frustrates people
  • The Sales vs. Brand Squeeze: You'll be caught in the crossfire between the Sales team demanding deep discounts to hit their quarterly number and the Brand team trying to protect long-term brand equity and pricing integrity. It's a constant balancing act, and you'll often feel like the referee.
  • "Garbage In, Garbage Out" Data: Honestly, you'll spend days cleaning messy, inconsistent, or delayed point-of-sale (POS) data from retailers before any meaningful analysis can even begin. If you expect pristine data, you'll be constantly frustrated.
  • Paying for Ghost Displays: You'll allocate significant budget for in-store displays or features, only to discover through store checks that retailer compliance is abysmal and the execution never actually happened. It feels like throwing money away.
  • The Budget Evaporation Act: Your carefully planned annual promotional calendar can be decimated by mid-year budget cuts from Finance, forcing you to have painful conversations with retailers and scramble to re-plan.
  • Accountability Without Authority: You're held responsible for the sales results of a channel or account, but you have no direct control over the sales team's execution or the supply chain's ability to deliver product on time. It can feel like your hands are tied.
  • The Spreadsheet Labyrinth: Trying to manage dozens of unique promotional plans, budgets, and ROI trackers across different retailers, each with their own format and requirements, often leads to version control nightmares and endless manual updates.
  • The "One Size Fits All" Mandate: You'll receive a national marketing campaign from the Brand team and then have to politically explain why it simply won't work for your specific channel or key account (e.g., a Club store format versus a local convenience shop).
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable routine with minimal interruptions. Expect daily curveballs.
  • Complete autonomy over budget allocation without needing to justify ROI.
  • A direct path to managing a large team immediately (though mentoring is a big part of it).
  • A role where you can avoid internal politics or challenging conversations.

8Who you work with

This role directly influences our market share and profitability within key retail accounts. Your work ensures our products are visible and desirable where it matters most: at the point of purchase. If you do this well, we'll see significant growth in sales and stronger relationships with our most important retail partners. If not, we risk losing shelf space, market relevance, and ultimately, revenue.

Inside the business
  • Trade Marketing Manager (your boss, for strategic alignment)
  • Sales Account Managers (your closest partners, for execution)
  • Brand Marketing Team (for brand guidelines and campaign assets)
  • Finance Team (for budget approvals and ROI analysis)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (to ensure stock is available for promotions)
Outside the business
  • Key Retail Buyers (your main external contact)
  • Retail Category Management Teams (for category growth discussions)
  • Third-party agencies (for creative, display production)
  • Data providers (NielsenIQ, Circana, for insights)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 5 years of hands-on experience in a trade marketing, shopper marketing, or category management role within a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) company or a major retailer.
  • Demonstrable experience leading Joint Business Plan (JBP) development and execution for key retail accounts.
  • Proven track record of analysing complex sales and market data (NielsenIQ, Circana) to derive actionable commercial insights.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data manipulation, modelling, and reporting (Power Query, PivotTables, complex formulas).
  • Experience managing trade marketing budgets and a clear understanding of promotional ROI calculations.
  • Strong project management skills, having successfully delivered multiple concurrent marketing programmes from concept to completion.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced AI-Powered Data Analysis & Scenario Modelling

Manual data analysis is becoming too slow and prone to human error. Competitors are already using AI to run complex promotional scenarios and identify hidden trends in minutes. If we don't embrace this, we'll be left behind, making slower, less informed decisions.

Prompt engineering for data analysis LLMs · Automated anomaly detection in sales data · Predictive modelling for new product launch success · Integrating AI outputs into BI dashboards

  • This week: Experiment with using ChatGPT or Claude to summarise a complex NielsenIQ report or to brainstorm promotional mechanics.
  • This month: Explore advanced features in Excel like 'Forecast Sheet' or third-party AI add-ons for scenario planning.
  • Next quarter: Identify one recurring analytical task you currently do manually and build a proof-of-concept for how AI could automate or significantly assist it.
  • Month 4-6: Share your AI-driven insights and workflow improvements with the wider team, demonstrating tangible time savings or better outcomes.

Quick win: Start using AI tools to help you draft the initial outline of your post-promotion analysis reports or to brainstorm different ways to segment shopper data. It's low-risk and high-reward.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry webinars and conferences focused on retail trends, shopper insights, and trade marketing best practices (e.g., IGD, Retail Week).
  • Participate in workshops or courses on advanced data visualisation tools (Tableau, Power BI) to enhance your ability to tell compelling stories with data.
  • Engage with online communities or forums dedicated to trade marketing professionals to share insights and learn from peers.
  • Seek out opportunities to mentor junior colleagues, as teaching often solidifies your own understanding and develops leadership skills.
  • Actively read trade publications and business journals to stay abreast of the broader economic and retail landscape.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Advanced Retail Media Network (RMN) Optimisation

Retailers are rapidly building out their own advertising platforms (RMNs), becoming media companies in their own right. Competitors are already pouring significant budget into these, and if we don't get smart here, we'll lose visibility and sales. It's quickly becoming a primary battleground for shopper attention.

  • Closed-loop measurement for RMN campaigns
  • Audience segmentation and targeting within RMNs
  • Budget allocation across different RMN platforms
  • Integration of RMN data with traditional trade marketing insights

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Category Management
  • Joint Business Planning (JBP)
  • Shopper Marketing Strategy & Execution
  • Promotional Effectiveness & ROI Analysis
  • Retail Media Network (RMN) Strategy
  • Channel Strategy & Price Pack Architecture

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Trade Marketing Executive (L2)

    2-3 years at this level

    Skills to master

    • Mastering end-to-end promotional execution, developing strong analytical skills for post-promo analysis, building initial relationships with sales teams and junior retail contacts.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivering promotions on time and within budget with positive ROI.
    • Proactively identifying issues and proposing solutions for routine problems.
    • Being the go-to person for data analysis for your assigned accounts.
    • Demonstrating strong collaboration with sales and brand teams.
  2. 2

    Brand Marketing Executive/Manager

    3-5 years in brand marketing

    Skills to master

    • Transitioning from brand-centric thinking to a more commercial, retail-focused mindset. Understanding retailer priorities, trade spend mechanics, and the practicalities of in-store execution. Learning to 'sell the sell' internally.

    You're ready to move on when

    • A clear desire to move closer to the commercial side of the business.
    • Demonstrated understanding of how brand strategy translates into retail execution.
    • Strong analytical skills from market research or brand performance tracking.
    • Proactive engagement with sales or trade marketing teams in previous roles.
  3. 3

    Sales Analyst / Commercial Analyst

    3-4 years in an analytical role

    Skills to master

    • Moving beyond pure data analysis to strategic recommendation and execution. Developing strong communication and influence skills to present insights to non-analytical audiences. Understanding the 'why' behind the numbers in a retail context.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Exceptional analytical and modelling skills (especially in Excel and BI tools).
    • A keen interest in commercial strategy and driving sales outcomes.
    • Experience presenting data-driven insights to sales or marketing leadership.
    • A desire to move into a more outward-facing, commercially impactful role.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to trade marketing leadership, broader commercial strategy roles, or senior customer and channel roles across a business.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Senior Trade Marketing Executive is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • Senior Category Manager (Retailer Side)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Social Media Marketing, worked against Senior Trade Marketing Executive.

Social Media Marketing Level 4

Applied to your work in Senior Trade Marketing Executive

The objective of this unit is to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively utilise social media for marketing purposes. Learners will understand the role of social media in marketing, identify different platforms and their target audiences, develop social media marketing strategies, create engaging content, manage online communities, and analyse campaign performance.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Senior Trade Marketing Executive plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Senior Trade Marketing Executive
  • Category Management
  • Joint Business Planning (JBP)
  • Shopper Marketing Strategy & Execution
  • Promotional Effectiveness & ROI Analysis
  • Retail Media Network (RMN) Strategy
  • Channel Strategy & Price Pack Architecture
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Senior Trade Marketing Executive is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Trade Marketing Manager (L4)

    3-5 years as a Senior Trade Marketing Executive

    This is a significant step up. You'll move from managing key accounts to owning the entire strategy, budget, and results for a whole retail channel (e.g., Grocery, E-commerce, Convenience). You'll also likely manage a small team of Trade Marketing Executives.

    • Strategic Account Planning Developing long-term strategic plans for the entire channel, anticipating market shifts.
    • Vendor Management Negotiating with external agencies and data providers at a higher level.
    • Cross-Channel Optimisation Understanding how activities in one channel impact others and optimising for overall business growth.

  2. Senior Category Manager (Retailer Side)

    3-5 years as a Senior Trade Marketing Executive

    This is a move to the 'other side'—working directly for a major retailer. You'd be responsible for managing an entire category (e.g., 'Snacks' or 'Beverages') for that retailer, making decisions about assortment, pricing, and promotions across all suppliers. It's a shift in perspective, but your trade marketing background is invaluable.

    • Assortment Optimisation Deciding which products to stock and delist across the entire category.
    • Pricing Strategy (Retailer) Setting pricing strategies for the category to drive sales and margin for the retailer.
    • Private Label Development Potentially developing and managing the retailer's own-brand products within your category.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be honest, a big chunk of your week is probably spent on repetitive tasks that, while necessary, aren't the most exciting. Imagine if you could get those hours back. Our AI Productivity Hub isn't about replacing you; it's about giving you superpowers. Think of it as having a super-efficient assistant that handles the grunt work, freeing you up for the strategic thinking and relationship building that truly matters.

For a Senior Trade Marketing Executive, AI isn't just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. It means less time wrestling with spreadsheets and more time crafting winning strategies. We're talking about automating the tedious bits of data analysis, presentation building, and communication, so you can focus on being the commercial wizard you're meant to be. Here's a glimpse of how you could be working smarter, not harder:

Automated Sell-in Decks

Use AI to auto-populate a presentation template with account-specific POS data, relevant shopper insights, and product images. You'll create a customised 'sell story' for each retailer in minutes, not hours. No more manually copying and pasting numbers or searching for the right pack shot.

Predictive Promo ROI

Leverage AI models to analyse historical data and predict the likely ROI, lift, and even cannibalisation of a proposed promotion before you commit funds. This means better budget allocation, fewer wasted pounds, and stronger business cases for your ideas. Imagine knowing the likely outcome before you even start!

Competitor Intel Briefings

Imagine an AI agent monitoring and summarising competitor promotional activity, pricing changes, and even retailer earnings calls. You'll get a concise intelligence briefing delivered straight to your inbox, preparing you for JBP meetings and helping you spot opportunities faster than ever.

Retailer Comms Assistant

Use AI to draft clear, concise emails summarising meeting action items, confirming promotional details with buyers, or creating initial drafts of sales team communications for new initiatives. It's about getting your message across quickly and professionally, without staring at a blank screen.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Senior Trade Marketing Executive?

Common routes in include Trade Marketing Executive (2-3 years at this level), Brand Marketing Executive/Manager (3-5 years in brand marketing) and Sales Analyst / Commercial Analyst (3-4 years in an analytical role). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Senior Trade Marketing Executive progress to?

This role can lead on to Trade Marketing Manager (3-5 years as a Senior Trade Marketing Executive) and Senior Category Manager (Retailer Side) (3-5 years as a Senior Trade Marketing Executive), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Senior Trade Marketing Executive?

Increasingly, Advanced Retail Media Network (RMN) Optimisation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 4

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in marketing

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built here transfer to broader commercial roles, sales leadership, or general management within FMCG. Understanding retail dynamics and commercial strategy applies across industries with strong B2B2C elements.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Senior Trade Marketing Executive plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.