Overview
In this role you will develop and implement category strategies to boost profitability and optimize supplier terms. You will lead supplier negotiations, promotional planning, and cost-price management while coordinating with internal and external stakeholders. You will analyze data, forecast risks, and address supply issues to maintain strong product availability. This position sits at the intersection of commercial strategy and supplier management, offering broad impact across categories and cross-functional teams. You will work in a fast-paced environment to drive efficiency, risk management, and value creation for the business.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement category plans, supplier strategies and core ranges
- Lead supplier negotiations, including national terms, cost prices, promotional investment and commercial agreements
- Manage supplier relationships, performance and supply issues, developing improvement plans
- Analyse supplier strengths and weaknesses using SWOT to identify opportunities and risks
- Manage promotional plans, ensuring competitive activity and strong execution
- Identify seasonal opportunities and manage volume planning, sell-through and clearance
- Forecast income and promotional schemes, identify risks and coordinate mitigations with stakeholders
- Manage cost-price increases with accurate analysis and stakeholder alignment
- Monitor product availability and escalate complex supply issues
- Lead category reviews and cross-functional projects with stakeholder alignment
- Maintain awareness of legislation, product safety, market trends, and competitive activity
- Analyse complex commercial data to support decisions and identify growth/efficiency opportunities
- Contribute to process improvement, standardisation and risk management
Key requirements
- 2–3 years' successful commercial negotiation experience
- Experience analysing and interpreting complex data
- Experience managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines
- Experience in a recognised brand and large, fast-paced organisation
- Proven experience managing multiple stakeholders and commercial relationships
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills
- Strong Excel skills, with good working knowledge of Outlook, PowerPoint and Word
- Ability to adapt to changing priorities and business environments
- Commercial awareness
- Analytical thinking
- Negotiation and influencing
- Excel
- Outlook
- PowerPoint
Trading Manager employer: D R Newitt & Associates
Join a dynamic and collaborative team at a leading manufacturer in Lancashire, where your sales expertise will be valued and rewarded. With a competitive salary of circa £25k plus OTE commission, you'll benefit from a supportive work culture that prioritises employee growth through training and future progression opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity for motivated individuals looking to make a meaningful impact in a thriving industry.
