Junior Category Manager

As a key member of the trading and procurement team, you will develop category-management skills to drive growth in sales, profit, and customer satisfaction in your designated range by supporting the Category Manager / Buyer to deliver the category strategy across our multiple pub formats.  This will be achieved through landing Managed Format Menu updates, Seasonal overlay campaigns, negotiation with suppliers, and new product innovation and using insight to further identify format opportunities to help exceed Budget and Market performance.

BUYING

• Take full ownership for a group of suppliers and sub-categories including product listings and profitability.
• Be the key day to day contact for the business with all the relevant suppliers and will be responsible for managing the supplier relationship to the required standards.
• Deliver an innovative a profitable product range to meet anticipated customer demand and improve the commercial performance of the category or sub-category.
• Support timely communications of product launches working with Suppliers, Marketing Teams and all internal stakeholders.
• Work with supply chain and suppliers to ensure product availability, forecasting, management of stock turn and problem stock issues are identified and resolved.
• Work alongside Category Assistants to ensure that all administration tasks such as Contractual pricing updates are completed accurately and with a timely completion.
• Support Category Managers with periodic tracking of contractual commitments for all key suppliers.
• Assisting in the preparation of procurement and tender documents from beginning to finalised presentations.

CATEGORY

• Implement and maintain the most effective range based on clear customer insight and performance contribution into all pub brands to maximize sales, margin, and profit.
• Delivering range reviews for your category ahead of each menu cycle, seeking to understand performance, identify opportunities and recommend changes required to improve the range for customers.
• Work with each of the Marketing teams to ensure that all deadlines for Menus and Seasonal overlay menus are met.
• Lead the sign off for all Menu updates for your owned Categories, checking product changes, additions and highlights for each menu are correctly included and featured.
• Manage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, continually increasing standards of customer service through continual review and improvement to processes.

On the job behaviours we would like to see from this role 

• A strong team player who can successfully work and influence x-functionally in GK and key suppliers
• The ability to work as part of a team as well as having strong confidence to work independently
• Good negotiation skills and influencing skills.
• Strong communication and time management skills.
• Ability to build relationships both with suppliers and internal multi-discipline teams.

Skills or types of experience you need to perform the role including comparable roles, qualified or studying towards relevant qualifications

• The ability to organize, prioritize and maximize your multiple objectives and workloads
• Excellent planning and management skills to ensure you can see projects from creation through to implementation, delivered right first time
• Effective decision maker in all situations, with strong and compelling communication skills
• High level of IT literacy and analytical skills with strong ability to interpret data into performance insights and strategy / actions
• Some previous buying or commercial experience

We’re all about rewarding our team’s hard work, that’s why…

You’ll receive a competitive salary, pension contribution as well as:

• The chance to further your career across our well-known brands – as one of the industry's top apprenticeship providers, we can provide training and development at each level of your career. 
• Discount of 33% for you and 15% for your loved ones on all of our brands – so you enjoy your favourite food and drink at a discount.
• Free employee assistance program – mental health, well-being, financial, and legal support because you matter!
• Discount of 50% for you and 25% for your loved ones at our Greene King Inns and hotels. – so you can enjoy a weekend away without breaking the bank.
• Refer a friend – who do you know who could be interested in a new role? When they are placed, you could receive £1,500 for referring them!
• Wagestream – access your wage before payday for when life happens.
• Retail discounts – Receive up to 30% off at Superdrug, exclusive discounts with three mobile along with many more…