Commercial Manager in Leicester

Join Heart of England Co-operative Society as a Commercial Manager. At the Heart of England Co-operative Society, we're proud of our heritage and our future. Since our origins in 1832, we've remained committed to serving our members, customers, colleagues and local communities. As we continue to grow, we're looking for a commercially driven and customer-focused Commercial Manager to help shape and deliver our food category strategy.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced commercial professional to take ownership of allocated food categories, driving sales, profitability and customer value through effective category management, supplier partnerships and data-led decision making.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Commercial, you'll play a key role in delivering profitable category plans across range, pricing, promotions and supplier activity. Working closely with colleagues across Commercial, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing and external suppliers, you'll ensure our commercial plans are both customer-focused and operationally deliverable. You'll analyse performance, identify opportunities for growth and margin improvement, and lead initiatives that strengthen category performance while supporting the Society's wider food strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the commercial performance of allocated food categories, reviewing sales, margin, availability and customer relevance.
• Develop category plans that drive growth, profitability and improved customer offer.
• Lead range reviews, pricing recommendations, product listings and promotional planning.
• Build and manage supplier relationships, supporting negotiations and improving supplier performance.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales, margin and supplier income through data-driven insights.
• Work collaboratively with Supply Chain, Marketing, Operations and suppliers to deliver successful commercial plans.
• Lead store trials and evaluate results, making recommendations for wider implementation.
• Ensure robust governance and commercial decision-making across range, pricing and promotional activity.

About You

We're looking for someone who combines strong commercial awareness with excellent analytical and relationship-building skills. You'll ideally have:

• Experience managing category performance, pricing, promotions and supplier activity.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to interpret sales and margin data.
• Experience building and managing supplier relationships.
• Excellent planning, organisation and stakeholder management skills.
• A good understanding of retail operations and the importance of effective store execution.
• The confidence to challenge performance and make commercially sound recommendations.
• A full UK driving licence.

It would be advantageous if you have:

• Convenience or food retail experience.
• Experience working with Co-op Group processes.
• Experience managing local suppliers.
• Knowledge of Power BI, Tableau or similar reporting tools.
• Experience supporting seasonal planning, events or store trials.

What You'll Bring

You will be:

• Commercially minded and results-focused.
• Analytical, curious and data-driven.
• Proactive and able to work at pace.
• A strong communicator who can influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Collaborative and relationship-focused.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to delivering high standards.

Why Join Us?

As a colleague of Heart of England Co-operative Society, you'll benefit from:

• Society colleague discount.
• Annual leave entitlement that rises with service.
• Pension scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• The opportunity to make a real impact within a growing, community-focused organisation.
• A values-led culture where colleagues are at the heart of what we do.

Apply Today

If you're an experienced commercial professional looking to make a significant contribution within a growing retail business, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of Heart of England Co-operative Society.