Category Manager

Category Manager
Up to £55,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 6A) 
Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least two to three times a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).  

12-month fixed-term contract

We’re looking for a Category Manager to join us at Co-op Wholesale. If you're passionate about shaping winning category strategies, spotting opportunities in the market and turning customer insight into commercial success, this is an opportunity to take ownership of your categories and make a real impact on a growing part of our business.

Why this job matters

As a Category Manager, you'll be the driving force behind your categories, shaping the products, pricing and promotions that help our wholesale partners succeed. You'll combine customer insight, market trends and commercial performance data to create compelling category plans that deliver profitable growth and strengthen our position in the market.

Working closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams, you'll have the opportunity to influence key decisions, build differentiated propositions and develop ranges that meet the changing needs of customers and partners. This is a role where you'll be empowered to own your categories, deliver commercial results and help shape the future of Co-op Wholesale.

What you'll do

• Take ownership of assigned categories, developing and delivering commercial strategies that drive profitable growth and customer value
• Manage category performance, using sales, margin and market data to identify opportunities, mitigate risks and deliver against P&L targets
• Create compelling, trend-led assortments and promotional plans that meet customer needs and support wholesale partner success
• Develop pricing and promotional strategies that balance competitiveness, customer value and commercial performance
• Build strong relationships with suppliers, negotiating commercial terms, promotional funding and activation opportunities that drive category growth
• Spend time with customers, partners and in the market to understand emerging trends, shopper behaviour and future opportunities
• Collaborate with teams across buying, sales, supply chain, finance and marketing to ensure successful execution of category and promotional plans
• Use customer, sales and market insights to influence decisions and provide clear, commercially focused recommendations to stakeholders
• Support the development of new propositions, seasonal campaigns and category initiatives that strengthen Co-op Wholesale's offer and drive loyalty

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:

• Category, commercial or trading experience within retail, wholesale, FMCG or a similar fast-paced environment
• A strong understanding of how range, pricing and promotional decisions drive sales, margin and customer value
• The ability to use customer, market and performance insights to identify opportunities and make sound commercial decisions
• Experience building strong relationships with suppliers and stakeholders, influencing outcomes and delivering results through collaboration
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to challenge thinking and champion your recommendations
• Experience using commercial reporting and insight tools such as MicroStrategy, Circana, Excel and PowerPoint, alongside a good understanding of GSCOP

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:

• 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 
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) 
• 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.