Senior Category Manager

Senior Category Manager – Tobacco & Vape
Up to £80,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5)
Scunthorpe/Manchester (hybrid working – you’ll spend two to three days a week working from the office, with Wednesdays always based in Scunthorpe)

Co-op Wholesale is growing, and we’re looking for talented people who want to help shape what comes next. As a Senior Category Manager in our Trading team, you’ll lead a team of Category Managers and Category Analysts. Together, you’ll look after our tobacco and vape product category and decide what to sell, how much to stock, and how to price them so our wholesale partners get the right quantities, at the right time. Working closely with our group buying teams and your category’s supplier base, you’ll develop a market-leading range of tobacco, vape, oral nicotine, and smoking accessory products that help our partners thrive.

Why this role matters

Exciting things are happening at Co-op Wholesale. We’re growing fast, strengthening our offer for retailers, key accounts, and corporate partners, and we need great people to be part of our journey.

To make this offer the best it can be, we need tobacco and vape product ranges that really stand out and make the most of key market and seasonal opportunities. That means developing the right sourcing strategies, and always looking to stay one step ahead. That’s where you come in.

What you’ll do

• Own the tobacco and vape product category strategy and drive performance across channels
• Lead, support, and develop your team, helping them to grow and thrive
• Monitor tobacco and vape category performance and make sure we’re hitting our commercial targets
• Use data and market insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Collaborate with colleagues across our GCL (Group Commercial and Logistics) teams
• Build strong supplier relationships to spark ideas and drive mutual success

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• Experience developing and owning commercial strategies across licenced product categories, including pricing, promotional planning, and range architecture
• A strong track record of shaping and delivering effective trading strategies
• Great sales, negotiation, supplier management, and relationship-building skills
• The ability to analyse data, trends, and insights to spot opportunities to improve trading performance
• Good leadership skills, with the ability to inspire teams to deliver commercial plans
• Good communication and collaboration skills

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• Private healthcare
• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.