Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead category strategy and performance for a diverse product portfolio.
- Company: Join IIRUC SERVICE SA, a dynamic company focused on innovative solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of product categories while leading a passionate team in a collaborative culture.
- Qualifications: Experience in category management with strong leadership and data-driven decision-making skills required.
- Other info: This role involves occasional travel and supplier visits across the UK.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Join to apply for the Head of Category role at IIRUC SERVICE SA
4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
Join to apply for the Head of Category role at IIRUC SERVICE SA
Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.
The Head of Category Opportunity
We\’re hiring a Head of Category to own the end-to-end category strategy and performance across a complex, high-SKU portfolio.
The Head of Category Opportunity
We\’re hiring a Head of Category to own the end-to-end category strategy and performance across a complex, high-SKU portfolio.
You will set vision, build actionable plans, and lead a team to deliver sales growth, profit improvement, and best-in-class customer experience.
Reports to: Director of Commercial
Direct reports: Category Managers
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & P&L
- Define 3-year category vision and 12-18 month roadmaps aligned to company objectives.
- Own category P&L (revenue, gross margin, stock turns, working capital, GMROI).
- Build data-driven range frameworks (good/better/best), NPI pipelines, and exit plans.
People Leadership
- Lead, coach and develop a multi-disciplinary team; set objectives, conduct reviews, succession plan.
- Foster a high-performance culture with clear accountabilities and collaboration with Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing and Finance.
Range, Pricing & Promotions
- Curate competitive ranges across thousands of SKUs; manage lifecycle, rationalisation and long-tail.
- Set price architecture, trade terms and promotional strategy by channel; ensure compliance and margin integrity.
- Champion data-led decision making (market data, elasticity, basket analysis, attach/cross-sell).
Supplier & Sourcing
- Own supplier strategy: selection, onboarding, sustainability and risk management.
- Lead annual terms negotiations (rebates, overriders, MDF, service levels) and resolve performance issues.
Demand, Inventory & Availability
- Partner with Supply Chain on forecasting, MOQ/EOQ, safety stock, and E&O reduction.
- Improve availability, OTIF and stock turns while protecting customer service.
Customer & Channel
- Translate customer insight into actionable category plans for B2B, e-commerce and store channels.
- Work with Marketing on content standards, digital merchandising, search and conversion optimisation.
- Support key account propositions and tender responses with compelling category narratives.
Governance & Change
- Run monthly category reviews; track KPIs and drive corrective actions.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives (ERP/MDM, PIM, pricing tools) to scale category management capability.
Skills & Experience (Essential)
- Proven Head of Category / Senior Category Manager / Trading Lead experience in a hard goods environment.
- Comfortable managing large, multi-SKU portfolios and complex supplier bases.
- Demonstrable success delivering P&L improvement (revenue, margin, cash/stock).
- Strong people leadership: building, coaching and scaling teams; change leadership.
- Advanced commercial acumen: negotiations, price/margin management, promotions, and terms.
- Data-driven with proficiency in Excel/BI tools; able to translate insight into simple actions.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Sales and Finance in a distribution setting.
Working Pattern & Travel
- Hybrid (typically 2-3 days/week in Warwick HQ; flexibility around peaks/travel).
- Occasional supplier and store visits; UK travel required
BBBH32772
LNKD1_UKTJ
Seniority level
-
Seniority level
Director
Employment type
-
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
-
Job function
Marketing
-
Industries
Marketing Services
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at IIRUC SERVICE SA by 2x
Sign in to set job alerts for “Head of Retail” roles.
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 5 days ago
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Nuneaton, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago
Supervisor – Birmingham Airport Accessorize (Full time)
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago
Royal Leamington Spa, England, United Kingdom 3 days ago
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Urban Outfitters Regional Visual Manager
Royal Leamington Spa, England, United Kingdom 3 days ago
FLOOR MANAGER (20 hours, Birmingham Fort)
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 1 day ago
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago
Walsall, England, United Kingdom 4 days ago
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Retail Assistant Store Manager (Coventry)
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago
Nuneaton, England, United Kingdom 2 months ago
Coventry, England, United Kingdom 2 days ago
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Head of Category employer: IIRUC SERVICE SA
Contact Detail:
IIRUC SERVICE SA Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Category
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in category management, especially in hard goods. Understanding market dynamics and consumer behaviour will help you articulate your vision for the category strategy during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully managed P&L in previous roles. Highlighting your achievements in revenue growth and margin improvement will demonstrate your capability to handle the responsibilities of this position.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills by preparing anecdotes about how you've built and developed teams. Be ready to explain your approach to fostering a high-performance culture and how you’ve successfully led cross-functional initiatives.
✨Tip Number 4
Brush up on your data analysis skills, particularly with Excel and BI tools. Being able to translate complex data into actionable insights will be crucial, so consider preparing a few examples of how you've used data to drive decision-making in past roles.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Category
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in category management, particularly in a hard goods environment. Emphasise your achievements in P&L improvement and team leadership.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, clearly articulate your vision for the category strategy and how you plan to drive sales growth and customer experience. Use specific examples from your past roles to demonstrate your capabilities.
Showcase Data-Driven Skills: Since the role requires data-led decision making, include examples of how you've used data analysis tools (like Excel or BI tools) to inform your strategies and decisions in previous positions.
Highlight Cross-Functional Collaboration: Mention any experience working with teams across different functions such as Sales, Supply Chain, and Marketing. This will show your ability to lead and collaborate effectively in a complex environment.
How to prepare for a job interview at IIRUC SERVICE SA
✨Understand the Category Strategy
Make sure you have a solid grasp of category management principles and be prepared to discuss how you would define a 3-year vision and 12-18 month roadmap. Familiarise yourself with the company's current category strategy and think about how you can contribute to its evolution.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Category, you'll need to lead and develop a team. Be ready to share examples of how you've successfully built and coached teams in the past. Highlight your experience in fostering a high-performance culture and how you set objectives and conduct reviews.
✨Demonstrate Data-Driven Decision Making
Prepare to discuss how you use data to inform your decisions, especially regarding pricing, promotions, and inventory management. Bring examples of how you've used market data and analytics tools to drive category performance and improve P&L.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration
This role requires working closely with various departments like Sales, Supply Chain, and Marketing. Think of instances where you've successfully collaborated across functions to achieve common goals, and be ready to explain how you would approach this in the new role.
