Senior Category Manager in Northampton

Come and join us as a customer focused and results driven Senior Category Manager and be part of a hugely successful and friendly team.

The Role: As a Senior Category Manager, you will play a huge part in changing the way we think about our Online, Category, & Multichannel platforms. The Senior Category Manager (Senior Buyer) will lead a small Category team and work collaboratively with all key stakeholders to create and deliver winning category plans (aligned to the corporate strategy). As Senior Category Manager, you'll influence and negotiate to ensure we are getting the best deals for our customers and drive the engagement of the branch network and sales teams to deliver the category plan. You'll enjoy a diverse role developing, researching, creating and deploying the category strategy and you'll be responsible for creating a Trading Plan that will result in exceeding your targets and winning market share!

Key Responsibilities

• Supply base strategy and management of supplier relationships, to maximise return using joint business planning as a tool to drive growth
• Reviewing and reporting on category performance alongside identification of areas of concern and opportunities to take appropriate action
• Development of the factbase on the customer, competitors & market to support development of the category strategy
• Successful development and delivery of range reviews & category pricing strategy
• Product lifecycle management plans from start to end
• Management of accurate product data
• Negotiation of supplier trading agreements enhancing stock health and overall cash position
• Negotiation of cost prices and trading terms
• Development of a trading plan to deliver the category financials i.e. budgets /forecasting/COGs/trading accounts
• Representation of the category both cross-functionally and within Highbourne group collaborative relationships

This is primarily an on-site role with visits to our office, branches & suppliers on a weekly basis. You should be based in the UK within easy reach of our Head Office in Crick, Northamptonshire.

You: You'll live and breathe our customer-first ethos, with a strategic and proactive approach to Category, Buying, and Trading. You'll enjoy working collaboratively with the wider Multichannel team and you'll be committed to acting with integrity and honesty in everything you do.

Skills and competencies

• Previous experience of successfully delivering in a rounded category management / senior buyer role driving sales, trading profit (including rebates and TAs), margin rate, return on stock and product availability
• Highly numerate, with an ability to utilise research and insight to understand both customers and the market
• Demonstrable experience in category/account growth through critical analysis and opportunity development that incorporates innovation and legislative changes
• Able to build effective relationships with both internal and external stakeholders using influencing, collaboration and negotiation skills
• Able to demonstrate your drive, enthusiasm and continuous improvement outlook in order to maximise our commercial success

It is highly likely you will have worked in any of the following roles and/or markets, and worked with the following products and/or services: Builders Merchants, Building Products, Buying Manager, Category Manager, Category Transformation, Change Management, Construction, Digital Transformation, FMCG, Manufacturing, Procurement Manager, Retail, Senior Buyer, Senior Category Manager, Trading Manager.

Us: From boilers to bathroom suites, tubing to towel rails and everything in between, City Plumbing has all the products our customers need to complete the job. And we have all you need to build a successful career! We're proud of our reputation for selling quality plumbing and heating products to both trade and retail customers and we're super excited about our future. We put our colleagues at the heart of all we do, giving them all the tools they need to be successful, happy and feel rewarded in their career with us.

Benefits Package and Cultural Environment:

• Bonus
• Discounts, savings and cash back at numerous retailers
• Life assurance
• Extended family policy including maternity, paternity, additional annual leave and more
• Mental Health First Aiders and Employee Assistance Programme, we look out for each other
• Complete induction and a company that lets you grow and encourages development
• Financial education and loans
• Flexible working options
• A business striving to create an environment of inclusion so everyone can be their true self
• And more!

We're passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. Bring your whole self to work regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We don't want you to fit our culture, we want you to enrich it.

We are committed to best practices in recruitment and undertake Basic Criminal Record Disclosures for candidates that are offered employment within our branches that undertake deliveries for British Gas. This check will only be undertaken after the acceptance of an offer of employment.