Category Manager

Job Description

Role: Category Manager
Work Type: 12 Month initial rolling contract
Location: Waterloo 2-3 times a week on site
Client: International Brand

What’s the role?
The purpose of this role will be to manage assigned Categories and/or Alliance Partners for the UK business, ensuring the key KPI metrics are met.
This will require best-in-class category management skills and the successful candidate will be required to build extensive knowledge of their categories and the wider dynamics of the retail environment.
He/she will be expected to define, shape, manage and monitor their categories; working with internal and external stakeholders to optimise an ever-evolving offer whilst delivering against business targets. Pivotal to the role will be interaction with suppliers and partners, negotiating then managing the execution of annual Joint Business Plans.

Key role activities and approach:

Manage the Category performance and P&L against key KPI deliverables.
Thorough analysis and understanding of the category and market dynamics - measuring the category performance and maintaining an optimal balance between the long-term view and business demands of the annual targets.
Developing profitable category business plans and ensuring all performance levers are optimized eg range, merchandising, price, promotions, operational excellence etc
Owning the relationships and negotiation of trading terms with suppliers or alliance partnersand identifying opportunities to drive efficiencies. Building appropriate JBPs with the supply base.
As part of a global business, work collaboratively with the global category management team to unlock broader opportunities
Develop and implement appropriate seasonal or event driven activities to maximise incremental sales and revenue
Effectively manage relationships with broader stakeholders and other teams within the business to deliver against our objectives
Provide an agile response when required to respond to changing market and business dynamics.

What we need from you

Experience as a category manager or buyer in a retail environment or experience working with these functions from an alternate background such as an FMCG account manager.
Result driven mindset; able to deliver against or support delivery of stretching business targets
Proactive in approach
Strong commercial acumen, strong understanding of sales, margin and profitability metrics, supported with understanding of all factors that can influence performance
Strong negotiations skills
Analytical skills, robust analytical skills demonstrable across different tools with high attention to detail
A willingness to take ownership to deliver against the targets set.
Excellent relationship management skills; able to adapt approach to different audiences or circumstances
Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate, engage, influence or challenge different stakeholders where required
Collaborative; able to work across multiple external and internal touch points, an effective team player and contributor
Agility, able to respond at speed to changing business demands, reacting to challenging or unforeseen circumstances in a calm and measured manner, solving a problem firsthand if one should arise
Resilience, up for a challenge and able to prioritise workload when under pressure from different stakeholders
Attention to detail; ensuring all tasks are accomplished within the appropriate timescales.

Please apply to be considered