Job description

About

Reporting to: Lead Category Manager Based: Welwyn Garden City

We’re looking for an experienced and driven Buying Manager (also known as Category Manager) to join our Fresh team on a maternity cover contract. This role will focus on the Food to Go and Deli categories and can be based from any of our office locations in Welwyn, Wellingborough, Watford, or Eccles.

Job Summary Maximising the profitability of specified product categories, improving customer satisfaction, and cash profit.

• The development and implementation of category plans ensuring delivery of sales, margin and profit are met whilst maintaining continuity of product availability.
• Growth of own brand business, sourcing as appropriate to grow sales and margins.
• Annual negotiation with suppliers to ensure competitive terms year on year.
• Seek and react to customer feedback at every opportunity, shaping the category plan, whilst linking to the sell plan and customer satisfaction.
• Responds to customer queries and complaints professionally, at speed.
• Be able to communicate category plans and objectives for relevant product categories, ensuring understanding and buy-in is achieved
• Ensure my product area in the business centres reflect the principles of good, better and best.
• Working as part of the senior team to identify opportunities and develop or improve ways of working.
• Leadership of the category team, manage performance and have effective succession plans in place supporting Booker in ‘Making Everyone Welcome’ and A Place to Get On’.
• Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence championing diversity and inclusion.

Operational skills relevant for this job:

• Exceptional communication & stakeholder management.
• Be able to work independently, to problem solve and make commercial decisions.
• Attention to detail, writing of reports, interpreting data and keeping of accurate records.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant markets and market developments.
• Ability to flex work approach.

Experience relevant for this job:

• Educated to degree level.
• Extensive experience in working in FMG and heading up a buying team.
• Have a proven record of working autonomously.
• Have experience of development and management of marketing campaigns.