Category Manager
Job DescriptionOur client, a leading retail company, seeks an experienced Category Manager to oversee the purchasing and category strategy within a key retail segment. This role is integral to ensuring competitive pricing, strong supplier relationships, and optimal inventory levels, all while supporting the company’s strategic goals in procurement and sales growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Category Strategy & Management: Lead category management for the assigned product line, analyzing market trends to establish competitive pricing, develop supplier partnerships, and ensure profitable growth.
- Supplier Negotiation & Relationship Building: Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, negotiating contracts and terms to secure favorable conditions and long-term collaborations.
- Cost Analysis & Pricing: Conduct thorough market analyses of costs, pricing, and competitor benchmarks to support optimal price setting and margin improvement.
- Inventory & Procurement Needs: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure procurement aligns with sales forecasts and maintains ideal inventory levels.
- Process Optimization & Problem Solving: Identify opportunities for improving purchasing processes, address supply issues, and implement solutions that support efficient category management.
- Market Intelligence & Risk Management: Continuously assess market opportunities and supply chain risks, identifying new supplier sources to maintain competitive positioning.
- Reporting & Analytics: Prepare and present insights on category performance, forecasts, and purchasing strategies to senior management.
Qualifications
- Experience: Minimum of 5 years in a purchasing or category management role, ideally within a retail or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- Skills: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel for data analysis; experience with procurement software is a plus.
- Negotiation & Communication: Proven negotiation skills with the ability to foster effective supplier relationships and communicate clearly with cross-functional teams.
- Analytical Mindset: Demonstrated strength in data analysis, market research, and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
Our client, a leading retail company, seeks an experienced Category Manager to oversee the purchasing and category strategy within a key retail segment. This role is integral to ensuring competitive pricing, strong supplier relationships, and optimal inventory levels, all while supporting the company’s strategic goals in procurement and sales growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Category Strategy & Management: Lead category management for the assigned product line, analyzing market trends to establish competitive pricing, develop supplier partnerships, and ensure profitable growth.
- Supplier Negotiation & Relationship Building: Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, negotiating contracts and terms to secure favorable conditions and long-term collaborations.
- Cost Analysis & Pricing: Conduct thorough market analyses of costs, pricing, and competitor benchmarks to support optimal price setting and margin improvement.
- Inventory & Procurement Needs: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure procurement aligns with sales forecasts and maintains ideal inventory levels.
- Process Optimization & Problem Solving: Identify opportunities for improving purchasing processes, address supply issues, and implement solutions that support efficient category management.
- Market Intelligence & Risk Management: Continuously assess market opportunities and supply chain risks, identifying new supplier sources to maintain competitive positioning.
- Reporting & Analytics: Prepare and present insights on category performance, forecasts, and purchasing strategies to senior management.
Qualifications
- Experience: Minimum of 5 years in a purchasing or category management role, ideally within a retail or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- Skills: Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel for data analysis; experience with procurement software is a plus.
- Negotiation & Communication: Proven negotiation skills with the ability to foster effective supplier relationships and communicate clearly with cross-functional teams.
- Analytical Mindset: Demonstrated strength in data analysis, market research, and identifying cost-saving opportunities.