Category Manager

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm office based

Salary: c £45k DOE + Co bonus paid monthly and annually

Benefits: 22 days rising after 2 years, Holiday buy-back scheme, Pension, Growth by sharing bonus scheme, on-site parking, Modern open-plan offices, Free lunch every Friday, Company sick pay, company social and corporate events, monthly + annual bonus structure, training provided.

PLEASE NOTE, YOU MUST DRIVE AND HAVE YOUR OWN CAR FOR THIS ROLE.

Aspire Jobs are delighted to be working with our client, a well-established family-run business on a growth trajectory, now recruiting a Category Manager for their office in Poole, Dorset.

This role involves working across multiple categories with a focus on consolidating, de-risking, and project managing each category, with a customer-centric approach.

The successful Category Manager will have:

• Senior buying/procurement experience (e.g., FMCG or high-volume component parts)
• Ability to work at a fast pace with high SKUs
• Superb Excel and data analysis skills
• Confidence in building relationships with suppliers, with some travel expected
• Strategic category or project management experience from procurement
• Commercially minded and entrepreneurial
• Proficiency with systems
• Self-starter with the ability to think independently
• Strong prioritization and workload management skills

Key responsibilities include:

• Supplier management, including scoping, right sizing, and risk management
• Building relationships with strategic suppliers
• Category planning and strategy development
• Creating and executing annual category strategies to improve GP, achieve savings, and consolidate projects
• Managing slow-moving stock and backlog reduction plans
• Price negotiations and tracking savings and targets
• Identifying growth opportunities within categories, including expanding own-brand offerings
• Understanding volume and product requirements to optimize supply base
• Creating data sheets and tech packs, overseeing quality control of new products

This role is suitable for candidates with senior buying, procurement, or purchasing experience.