Assistant Category Manager

Hozelock Ltd; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Hozelock Ltd in the UK is seeking an Assistant Category Manager to support our Marketing team in developing and delivering category plans for a well-known product portfolio.

This four-day-per-week, permanent role is based at the Sutton Coldfield office with the flexibility to work from home one day per week, offering hands-on exposure to market research, product lifecycle, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Degree in Marketing, Business, Product Design or related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Marketing, commercial, retail, administrative or product-related experience helpful but not essential.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Good analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel and MS Office.
• Enthusiastic, proactive and eager to learn.
• Experience with Power BI, SAP or other ERP systems beneficial but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Support Category Manager in delivering category plans and meeting customer needs and business objectives.
• Conduct market research, competitor analysis and consumer insight activities.
• Assist with product lifecycle management: launches, updates, range reviews and discontinuations.
• Maintain product data, pricing information and category reporting.
• Support development of new product ideas and commercial opportunities.
• Plan and coordinate product launch activities.
• Prepare reports, presentations and analyses for business decisions.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, Product Development, Supply Chain and Customer Service.

Skills

Organisational skills

Analytical

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Proactive

Eager to learn

Education

Marketing / Business / Product Design degree or related

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

SAP / ERP systems

Job description

Shape the Future of an Iconic Product Portfolio

Are you passionate about products, consumer trends, and bringing new ideas to market? Do you enjoy analysing information, identifying opportunities, and working with different teams to deliver successful products?

We are looking for an Assistant Category Manager to join our Marketing team and support the growth and development of our product portfolio. Working closely with the Category Manager, you will gain exposure to all aspects of category management, including market analysis, product development, lifecycle management, and new product launches.

This is an excellent opportunity for a graduate or early-career professional looking to build a career in Category Management, Product Management, or Marketing. You'll gain hands‑on experience, work with well‑known products, and develop your commercial and analytical skills within a supportive and collaborative environment.

This is a full‑time, permanent position, working four days per week from our Sutton Coldfield office, with the flexibility to work from home one day per week.

What You'll Be Doing

As Assistant Category Manager, you'll support the Category Manager in delivering category plans and helping ensure our products continue to meet customer needs and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support market research, competitor analysis, and consumer insight activities.
• Assist with the management of the product lifecycle, including product launches, updates, range reviews, and discontinuations.
• Help maintain product data, pricing information, and category reporting.
• Support the development of new product ideas and commercial opportunities.
• Assist with planning and coordinating product launch activities.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and analysis to support business decisions.
• Collaborate with teams across Marketing, Sales, Product Development, Supply Chain, and Customer Service.
• Provide day‑to‑day administrative and project support to the Category function.

What We're Looking For

• A degree in Marketing, Business, Product Design, or a related discipline, or equivalent commercial experience.
• Previous experience in a marketing, commercial, retail, administrative, or product‑related role would be beneficial but is not essential.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Good analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
• Enthusiastic, proactive, and eager to learn.
• Experience with Power BI, SAP, or other ERP systems would be advantageous but is not essential.

Why Join Us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to start or develop your career in Category Management with a market‑leading brand. You'll gain exposure to the full product development process, work on exciting projects, and play a key role in supporting the future growth of our product portfolio.

If you're commercially minded, curious about consumer behaviour, and looking for a role where you can learn, grow, and make an impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Hozelock is proud to be an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know.