Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead marketing procurement strategies and manage a £200m spend portfolio.
- Company: Join Boots UK, a leading health and beauty retailer with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, generous discounts, flexible benefits, and 24/7 support.
- Why this job: Make an impact in marketing procurement while working with top brands and agencies.
- Qualifications: Experience in strategy development, negotiation, and project management is essential.
- Other info: Flexible work options available; we support diverse applicants and provide reasonable adjustments.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Join to apply for the Category Manager – Marketing Procurement role at Boots UK. Permanent position based in Nottingham.
About The Role
Full-time Category Manager, reporting into the Category Director for Marketing Procurement, taking ownership of categories across the marketing portfolio such as insights, creative, production, media, PR and marketing technology. Partnering with partners and agencies across Boots, Opticians and No7 Beauty Company to lead value, innovation and compliance. Responsible for ~£200m spend, working in collaboration with two other Marketing Category Managers, supported by a cross-function team of shared Procurement Associates.
Key Responsibilities
- Category strategy – develop and manage category strategy(ies) for an assigned portfolio and work with team members up to and including CxO / Executives to develop strategies, testing requirements, through external insights, spend analysis and always challenging the balance between value and service.
- Procurement led change and sourcing – promote procurement led change and sourcing activities; project manage work-streams/programmes in the Category Strategy to ensure timely delivery of goals within the prescribed governance; collaborate with several areas of the business such as Finance Business Partners, Legal, InfoSec and Data Protection; provide professional procurement expertise to multiple stakeholders; undertake negotiations, selection and contracting to support the business and deliver objectives; report on savings, ROI and other procurement KPIs.
- Supplier and Risk Management – help manage key supplier relationships; develop strategic relationships ensuring mutual beneficial outcomes.
What You'll Need To Have
- Strategy Development – understands the dynamics of the Marketing categories and agencies; can develop strategies that maximise the return for the business.
- Commercial Knowledge – uses knowledge to deliver the right balance between value and service, demonstrating commercial creativity.
- Negotiation – explores positions and alternatives to reach outcomes that gain acceptance of all parties and maximises return.
- Contracting – uses expertise in commercial contracts to negotiate contractual terms for local and regional arrangements.
- Project Management – ability to shape and lead programmes to deliver initiatives on time in full.
- Stakeholder Experience – navigates multiple areas of the business to form a reasonable strategy, plans and actions.
- Communication Skills – articulates direction and plans, commercial results and issues to a broad range of team members.
- Risk Management – identifies risks and mitigation plans acting always within the risk appetite of the business.
- Category Management – leads the category management process through all stages of its life cycle.
It would be great if you also have:
- Experience in arrangements for Performance Media e.g. PPC, Social and Affiliates; Performance Media technologies such as CM/SA/DV360, Smartly, feed providers.
- Management of Media cost and quality metrics.
Our Benefits
- Boots Retirement Savings Plan
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Generous employee discounts
- Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
- Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
- Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.
Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case-by-case basis. Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.
Category Manager – Marketing Procurement employer: Boots UK
Contact Detail:
Boots UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Category Manager – Marketing Procurement
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those at Boots or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching the latest trends in marketing procurement. Show us you know your stuff about category management and how it impacts the business. We love candidates who are passionate and informed!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! As a Category Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to reach mutually beneficial outcomes. Role-play with a friend or use online resources to sharpen those skills before the big day.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Category Manager – Marketing Procurement
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Category Manager role. Highlight your experience in marketing procurement and any relevant projects you've managed. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. We love seeing enthusiasm and a personal touch.
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to manage categories and drive value. Numbers speak volumes, so include metrics where possible to show your impact!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at Boots UK
✨Know Your Categories
Before the interview, dive deep into the marketing categories you'll be managing. Understand the dynamics of insights, creative, production, media, PR, and marketing technology. This knowledge will help you articulate how you can develop effective strategies that maximise returns for the business.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
Prepare examples of past negotiations where you successfully balanced value and service. Be ready to discuss your approach to exploring positions and alternatives, as this role heavily relies on effective negotiation to achieve mutual beneficial outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Project Management Prowess
Think of specific projects you've led that required collaboration across multiple teams. Highlight how you shaped and delivered initiatives on time and in full, as project management is key in this role. Use metrics to showcase your success!
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Be prepared to discuss how you've navigated complex stakeholder environments in the past. Share your strategies for forming reasonable plans and actions while ensuring clear communication of results and issues to a broad range of team members.
