Category Manager

Polypipe Building Products; Doncaster; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive bonus

Contributory pension scheme - matched

Life assurance

Enhanced maternity & paternity pay

Save as you earn Sharesave Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Staff discount on Genuit Group"s

Job summary

Polypipe Building Products, part of Genuit Group, is seeking an experienced Category Manager – Belowground & Utilities to own a key product portfolio. You will shape strategy, identify opportunities, drive lifecycle management and deliver sustainable revenue growth across multiple markets with cross-functional teams.

The role emphasizes strategic thinking with commercial delivery, maintaining regulatory compliance and delivering value propositions to strengthen market position.

Qualifications

• Experience developing and delivering successful category or product strategies.
• Strong commercial acumen, including pricing, margin and revenue growth.
• Knowledge of product lifecycle management and new product development.
• The ability to turn market insight into commercial action.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience working collaboratively across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain and Technical teams.
• A strategic mindset with a hands-on, delivery-focused approach.
• Strong communication, analytical and presentation skills.
• Experience within belowground drainage, utilities, construction products or infrastructure markets.
• Knowledge of relevant product standards and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working across international markets.
• Degree qualified (or equivalent experience) in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Defining and delivering category strategy by developing long-term roadmaps and go-to-market plans.
• Using market insight to drive growth and shape portfolio decisions.
• Managing the product lifecycle from concept to end-of-life and optimising profitability.
• Owning revenue, margin and pricing strategies, monitoring performance.
• Leading innovation and new product development with business cases and stage-gate processes.
• Developing compelling value propositions and collaborating with Marketing on campaigns.
• Acting as the category expert ensuring regulatory compliance and market-leading information.
• Building relationships across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain and Technical teams.

Skills

Category management

Product strategy

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Pricing & margins

Cross-functional collaboration

Market insight

Regulatory knowledge

International markets

Communication skills

Education

Degree in Business/Marketing/Engineering

Job description

Polypipe Building Products are focused on delivering solutions to the residential sector. Polypipe Building Products works with national and local developers, plumbing and heating engineers, general builders and groundworkers to deliver above and below ground drainage systems, rainwater solutions as well as hot and cold plastic plumbing products.

Part of the Genuit Group, we combine long-term stability with a culture built on teamwork, accountability and continuous improvement. We encourage fresh ideas, invest in development and are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.

We're looking for an experienced and commercially focused Category Manager – Belowground & Utilities to take ownership of one of our most important product portfolios. This is a highly visible strategic role, responsible for driving the end-to-end performance of the category across all markets and sales channels.

You will own the category throughout its entire lifecycle, from defining strategy and identifying market opportunities, through innovation and product development, to commercial delivery, lifecycle management and end-of-life planning. Working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Procurement, Supply Chain and Technical teams, you will ensure the portfolio delivers sustainable revenue growth, improved profitability and clear competitive differentiation.

If you enjoy combining strategic thinking with commercial delivery and influencing across a complex organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

• Defining and delivering category strategy by developing long-term roadmaps, identifying market opportunities and creating go-to-market plans aligned with business objectives.
• Using market insight to drive growth, analysing customer needs, market trends, competitor activity and emerging opportunities to shape portfolio decisions and future investment.
• Managing the product lifecycle from concept through to end-of-life, optimising the portfolio, supporting forecasting and working cross-functionally to maximise profitability and operational performance.
• Driving commercial success by owning revenue, margin and pricing strategies, monitoring performance and partnering with Sales and Marketing to deliver growth.
• Leading innovation and new product development, building business cases, managing the stage-gate process and ensuring successful product launches.
• Developing compelling value propositions and working with Marketing to deliver effective campaigns that strengthen the category's market position.
• Acting as the category expert, ensuring products remain technically compliant, meet regulatory requirements and support customers with accurate, market-leading product information.
• Building strong relationships across the business, influencing stakeholders, aligning priorities and leading cross-functional collaboration to deliver category objectives.

About you

You’ll be a commercially astute Category Manager or Product Manager with experience of managing technical product portfolios in a manufacturing, construction, building products or industrial environment.

You’ll bring:

• Experience developing and delivering successful category or product strategies.
• Strong commercial acumen, including pricing, margin and revenue growth.
• Knowledge of product lifecycle management and new product development.
• The ability to turn market insight into commercial action.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience working collaboratively across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain and Technical teams.
• A strategic mindset with a hands‑on, delivery‑focused approach.
• Strong communication, analytical and presentation skills.
• Experience within belowground drainage, utilities, construction products or infrastructure markets.
• Knowledge of relevant product standards and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working across international markets.
• Degree qualified (or equivalent experience) in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Monday to Friday, 9am - 5:00pm
• Competitive bonus
• Contributory pension scheme - matched up to 8%
• Life assurance
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity pay
• Save as you earn Sharesave Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Various health & wellbeing initiatives including complimentary occupational health on-site physiotherapy and counselling services
• Staff discount on all Genuit Group products