Category Buyer

Victorian Plumbing; Leyland; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Victorian Plumbing in Leyland is creating a new Category Buyer - Tiles role to own our floor and wall tile offering, drive margins, and shape the growth of this key category. You will curate ranges, build supplier partnerships, and negotiate terms with global manufacturers while coordinating across our North West sites.

Based at our Leyland HQ with occasional travel, you will stay ahead of interior design trends, identify gaps, and lead launches that delight customers and strengthen our

Qualifications

• Proven buying experience in tiles, bathrooms, or hard surfaces.
• Strong financial acumen with margin growth.
• Deep knowledge of tile materials and trends.
• Excellent communication for global vendor negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Own the tile category strategy across ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, and outdoor ranges.
• Source and negotiate with domestic and international manufacturers to secure exclusive lines and pricing.
• Manage category margins, review sales data, and optimise range profitability.
• Identify trends and opportunities at trade events and in the market.
• Collaborate with North West teams to ensure launches and stock availability.

Skills

Buying experience

Commercial instincts

Product knowledge

Relationship building

Willingness to travel

Job description

Category Buyer - Tiles

• Location: Leyland HQ (with occasional travel across Northwest sites)

• Working Pattern: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday)

• Position: Brand New Role

About the Role

As Victorian Plumbing continues to grow, we are expanding our commercial team and creating a brand-new position: Category Buyer - Tiles.

If you live and breathe hard surfaces, keep a close eye on interior design trends, and know what makes a commercially winning tile range, this is your chance to shape a key growth category from the ground up. Based at our purpose-built HQ in Leyland, you'll take full ownership of our floor and wall tile offering, curating ranges that inspire our customers while driving bottom-line performance.

You won't be inheriting a rigid template here. Because this is a fresh role created to keep pace with our ambitions, you'll have the autonomy to establish strategic supplier partnerships, negotiate market-leading terms, and directly influence our product direction.

What You'll Be Doing

• Owning the Category: Shaping and delivering a forward-thinking tile strategy across ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, and outdoor ranges.

• Building Global Partnerships: Sourcing, managing, and negotiating with top-tier domestic and international manufacturers to secure exclusive lines and competitive pricing.

• Driving Commercial Performance: Managing category margins, reviewing sales data, and optimising range profitability alongside the wider purchasing team.

• Spotting the Next Big Thing: Keeping your finger on the pulse of interior trends, attending trade events, and identifying range gaps before the competition does.

• Cross-Site Collaboration: Working closely with teams across our North West locations - including supply chain, marketing, and logistics - to ensure smooth product launches and stock availability.

What We're Looking For

• Proven Buying Experience: A strong background in retail or commercial buying, specifically focused on tiles, bathroom products, or hard surfaces.

• Sharp Commercial Instincts: Solid financial acumen with a track record of margin growth, range building, and tough but fair negotiation.

• Product & Market Expertise: Deep knowledge of tile materials, manufacturing standards, and current design trends.

• Great Relationship Builder: Excellent communication skills, whether you're negotiating with global vendors or pitching range ideas internally.

• Flexibility: Based in Leyland, with a willingness to travel periodically to other sites across the North West as required.

Why Join Victorian Plumbing?

We move fast, back good ideas, and give our teams the space to make a real impact. You'll be joining a dynamic, forward-thinking commercial department where your work directly shapes the customer journey.