Category Controller

White Recruitment; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday including bank hols

Pension

Private Medical

Life Assurance

Onsite parking

Senior leadership role

Own Brand growth

P&L ownership

Business transformation

Group scale £4.5bn+

Job summary

White Recruitment in North London seeks a senior Category Controller to lead Own Brand strategy and trading performance. You will manage a category team and influence strategy, profitability and customer proposition.

This high-profile role offers P&L accountability, strategic trading plans and strong supplier negotiations within a large, growing FMCG business with significant commercial impact.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Food Retail, FMCG, Wholesale, Buying, Trading or Category Management.
• Proven experience leading a trading/category team with commercial accountability.
• Strong P&L, margin and commercial management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead Own Brand category strategy and development to deliver a compelling customer proposition across quality, value and innovation.
• Own P&L, budgets, margin and sales performance to drive profitable growth.
• Develop and execute strategic trading plans to meet ambitious commercial targets.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing category/trading team.
• Build and leverage strong supplier relationships, including high-value negotiations.
• Use data and market trends to identify opportunities and improve decisions.
• Collaborate with Finance, Supply Chain and other functions to optimise margin, availability and performance.
• Drive continuous improvement and meaningful business transformation.

Skills

Food Retail, FMCG, Wholesale, Buying,

Job description

Category Controller (488242) North West London, England

Salary: GBP80000 - GBP90000 per annum + Benefits package

Category Controller – Own Brand - North London

Are you an experienced Trading, Buying or Category leader looking for a senior role where you can genuinely influence strategy, profitability and customer proposition?

We’re looking for a commercially driven Category Controller to lead an established category team, with a particular focus on Own Brand development, trading performance and category strategy.

This is a high-profile leadership opportunity within a large, successful and growing FMCG business, offering significant scope to shape the proposition and deliver meaningful commercial change.

The Role

You’ll take ownership of category performance, leading a team of Category Managers and Category Assistants while working closely with senior stakeholders across the business.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Leading Own Brand category strategy and development, ensuring a compelling customer proposition across quality, value and innovation.
• Owning P&L, budgets, margin and sales performance, driving profitable growth.
• Developing and executing strategic trading plans to deliver ambitious commercial targets.
• Leading, coaching and developing a high-performing category/trading team.
• Building and leveraging strong supplier relationships, including high-value commercial negotiations.
• Using data, customer insight and market trends to identify opportunities and drive better decisions.
• Working closely with Finance, Supply Chain and other functions to optimise margin, availability, quality and operational performance.
• Driving continuous improvement and delivering meaningful business step change.

About You

We’re looking for a senior commercial leader with:

• Significant experience in Food Retail, FMCG, Wholesale, Buying, Trading or Category Management.
• Proven experience leading a trading/category team with significant commercial accountability.
• Strong P&L, margin and commercial management experience.
• A track record of negotiating high-impact deals and delivering improved profitability.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to turn data into commercial action.
• Experience developing and leading teams in a complex, multi-functional environment.
• Strong understanding of merchandising, profitability, supply chain and customer proposition.
• Strategic thinking capability, with a proven record of delivering commercial transformation and step change.
• Excellent communication, influencing and senior stakeholder management skills.

What's on Offer?

• 30 days holiday including bank holidays
• Pension
• Private Medical
• Life Assurance
• Onsite parking
• Senior leadership position with significant commercial influence
• Genuine opportunity to shape and grow the Own Brand proposition
• Opportunity to lead and develop a talented category team
• A role with real ownership of P&L, strategy, margin and business transformation
• The backing and scale of a £4.5bn+ diversified group, operating across multiple sectors and international markets
• A collaborative, inclusive environment where different perspectives and backgrounds are valued

Ready for Your Next Challenge?

If you’re an ambitious Category Controller, Trading Controller, Senior Buying Manager or Commercial Director ready to take ownership of a major Own Brand proposition and deliver significant commercial impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Yes, I am currently eligible to work (work permit/visa/citizenship) in the country to which I am applying. No, I am not currently eligible to work (work permit/visa/citizenship) in the country to which I am applying.

Category Controller (488242) North West London, England