Category Manager - Sports

It's a really exciting time to be at Holland & Barrett. We are investing across all areas of our business with a vision of empowering our customers to live happier, healthier lives. Our mission is to be the leading player in global wellness chosen by millions as their trusted partner for personalised wellness journeys. To achieve this goal, we are embarking on a radical transformation. We are recruiting top talent in all areas of our business, from Finance to Digital Marketing, from HR to IT, as well as new functions around Health and Wellness.

We have a fantastic opportunity to join our Buying Team here at Holland & Barrett International ideal for someone who is highly driven and tenacious with experience in retail buying. As a Buyer, within our Sports team youwill own the product management process of a specialist, market leading retailer - from the drawing board, into our customers' hands.

You will be responsible for developing the buying strategy for your growing product areas, and will source, develop & curate product ranges which satisfy our customers' requirements, whilst achieving our company objectives.

By confidently using your influencing and negotiating skills, both with our supplier base and internally, you'll work strategically to make sure we deliver customer-centric ranges and promotions that meet our financial targets

Key Responsibilities:

• Continuously reviewing Category performance and the market place, to ensure you understand how your area is trading, and how you can build on this to deliver profitable growth.
• Working with the Product Development Teams, and the supplier base, to deliver an innovative product range to meet anticipated customer demand and improve the commercial performance of the Category.
• Leading supplier negotiations and joint business planning for our key strategic partners, to maximise profitability, ensuring that suppliers meet requirements on margin, marketing support and delivery performance.
• Leading the promotional trade planning process and master plan for the category which is customer led and drives commercial performance.
• Delivering range reviews focussed on meeting the needs of our customers.
• Working with the Trade Planning and marketing teams to maximise the success of promotional activity and NPD launches.
• Working with the Digital team to understand our customer behaviour online and tailor purchasing mechanics for trial, conversion & repeat.
• Providing information and analysis to assess levels of slow moving & dormant stock and work with the team to clear. Maintain stock at agreed levels for planned activity and to reduce overstocks.

Location: This is a hybrid role with 2 day per week required in our Nuneaton Head Office (CV10 7RH)

Key Requirements:

• Experience of Retail Buying or Category Management.
• Experience in Food or Sports Nutrition.
• Good negotiation skills and influencing skills.
• Strong communication and time management skills.
• Track record of working independently.
• Ability to build relationships both with suppliers and internal multi-discipline teams.
• Strong numeracy and analytical ability to find trends and patterns from reports

Our Benefits for this role include, but not limited to:

• H&B Employee Discount - 25%
• Bonus
• Pension company contribution
• 33 Days Holiday per year (Inclusive of bank holidays)
• Private Medical Care
• Exclusive benefits, free advice and savings from a range of retailers and providers
• Electric Car Scheme

We're passionate about helping every colleague thrive across all dimensions of wellbeing, and we're committed to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. In line with our EPIC values (Expertise, Pioneering, Inclusive, Caring), we embrace and actively celebrate all our colleagues' unique and varying experiences, backgrounds, identities and cultures - I am me, we are H&B.

Holland & Barrett does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Please do not forward resumes to our job alias, employees, or any other company location. Holland & Barrett is not and will not be responsible for any fees if a candidate submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless otherwise agreed with respect to specific open position(s).

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