Category Development Manager

Great Jobs UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Cinema discounts

Wellness classes

Job summary

Great Jobs UK is seeking a Category Development Manager to shape a long-term category strategy for fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. You will lead a team, manage supplier relationships, and drive value through sustainable commercial terms to support our clients.

In this role you will collaborate with culinary teams to align product development with sustainability, provenance, and carbon reduction goals while delivering cost and quality improvements across the category.

Qualifications

• Proven experience at category manager or senior category buyer level.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Data analysis and Excel proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of long-term category strategy across fresh and frozen fruit & vegetables.
• Identify and engage suppliers; build relationships and manage tenders.
• Deliver financial targets and inflation mitigation within category.
• Collaborate with culinary teams to support sustainability and provenance goals.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations and high quality standards.

Job description

One of our national procurement clients are looking for a Category Development Manager to join their expanding team.

Overall Purpose of the Role

This is an exciting role within our Food Category Team giving you the opportunity to shape, develop and deliver a short, medium & long-term category strategy. With support from your buyer, you will direct all procurement and supplier management strategies across fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. You will work closely with our chef community to support menu and product

development, driving our focus on sustainability, provenance and reducing carbon as a priority.

You will also work closely with your suppliers, engaging them on your category strategy and ensuring they are aligned.

Your primary responsibility is to deliver our overarching Foodbuy Strategy, drive volume growth, negotiate sustainable commercial terms & provide value and benefit to our clients.

You will lead & support planning, negotiating, and executing contract renewals as well as managing supplier relationships.

You will engage, inspire & collaborate with our culinary teams & development chefs and support their client food philosophies.

You will be known for getting things done and will be a motivating force amongst your team and the wider food team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead your team to develop and execute a long-term category strategy to deliver sustainable improvements in terms of cost, quality, service and innovation, in collaboration with the companies procurement team & other relevant business stakeholders.
• Identify potential new suppliers and producers, visiting, and meeting existing suppliers and producers, building, and maintaining relationships.
• Understand future trends ensuring we are market leading and be able to affect change as needed.
• Deliver financial targets including inflation mitigation, cash & managing debt, new commercial value.
• Develop and maintain long term pricing mechanisms/cost models across subcategories & supply base to drive sustainable, competitive advantage and ensure seasonal supply procured at optimum period.
• Ensure your product range is compliant to food safety regulations & sustainability requirements, assuring high quality standards always and optimise as necessary.
• Support your team’s personal development plans, provide regular training and ensure succession planning in place.
• Support the Category Lead to develop a high performing team culture.
• Be accountable for your category spend.
• Evaluate tenders with the company sourcing team and make recommendations based on commercial, technical, supply and quality requirements, using your category expertise and knowledge.
• Communicate industry trends across the business.
• Regularly review supplier performance to support category growth, identify priorities to drive commercial value.
• Manage category related queries from internal and external stakeholders.
• Support our sales and bid teams when required.
• Schedule Joint Business Plan meetings with strategic partners to deliver new commercial value, deepen supply partnerships.
• Work closely with sustainability teams to deliver programs and commitments.
• Ensure transparent supply chain and traceability.
• Influence & support our companies clients and account teams to adopt our commercial terms and recommendations.

Candidate Profile

• Already operating as a category manager or senior category buyer, looking to develop and progress your career at a more strategic level.
• Results oriented – comfortable delivering against bold and stretching targets.
• Keen to develop your category knowledge and become a subject matter expert.
• Competent with procurement systems, ideally having used these in current/previous employment, ability to develop credible business relationships.
• Competent with Excel and analysing data, with an ability to interpret data to support decision making.
• Passion for sustainability and responsible procurement.
• Experience of influencing and negotiating with suppliers.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Responds positively to changing business priorities.
• Listens to others & values their contributions, receptive to new ideas, acts in an ethical & socially responsible manner.
• Strong attention to detail, energy and resilience.

Reward & Recognition

• Contributory pension scheme.
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes.
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits.
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more.
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and many more.
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster.
• Receive Wow Points every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands.
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families.