Category Manager - Civils & Drainage

Huws Gray Group.; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Huws Gray Group is seeking a Category Manager - Civils & Drainage. You will own the Civils & Drainage category nationwide, drive supplier terms, pricing strategies and margin improvement across branches.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strategic thinking and strong negotiation skills. You'll work with branches, suppliers and internal teams to deliver competitive product ranges, effective promotions, and robust sourcing plans while maintaining exceptional customer service and

Qualifications

• Strong civils & drainage product knowledge within builders’ merchant or distribution environment.
• Proven commercial insight with ability to drive growth through category strategy.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, capable of influencing senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a national Civils & Drainage category strategy delivering profitable sales growth.
• Drive cost efficiencies and secure favourable terms, rebates, and strategic buying advantages.
• Partner with Regional Directors and Branch Teams to support category adoption and commercial success.
• Train and develop colleagues across the UK to build civils product knowledge and supplier relationships.
• Build and manage partnerships with key civils manufacturers and suppliers with long-term alignment.
• Collaborate with Marketing to plan national promotions that raise category awareness and demand.
• Identify new product opportunities and evaluate category gaps for competitiveness.
• Manage supply challenges through strong supplier relationships and forward planning.
• Work with regional colleagues to secure national supply agreements and leverage group buying power.

Skills

Civils & Drainage knowledge

Commercial insight

Negotiation

Stakeholder engagement

Excel

PowerPoint

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Category Manager - (Civils & Drainage)

In this role you will take ownership of driving commercial excellence in our Civils & Drainage category - delivering competitive cost prices, securing market-leading supplier agreements, and maximising value across our supply base. A key focus will be to drive down cost of goods, improve rebate structures, and negotiate favourable commercial terms that strengthen margin performance and support sustainable long‑term growth.

You will lead the development and growth of our Civils & Drainage category across the UK, ensuring our branches have a competitive product range, strong supplier support, and the capability to serve customers brilliantly.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a national Civils & Drainage category strategy that delivers profitable sales growth and strengthens our market position.
• Drive cost efficiencies, improve commercial agreements, and secure competitive terms, rebates, and strategic buying advantages.
• Partner with Regional Performance Directors and Branch Teams to support category adoption, drive commercial success, and enhance customer experience.
• Train, coach, and develop colleagues across the UK to build civils product knowledge, commercial capability, and supplier relationship skills.
• Build and manage strong partnerships with key civils product manufacturers and suppliers, negotiating competitive terms and ensuring long‑term strategic alignment.
• Work with Marketing to plan and deliver national promotional campaigns, increasing category awareness and driving demand.
• Identify new product opportunities, strengthen existing ranges, and evaluate category gaps to support market‑leading competitiveness.
• Manage and mitigate supply challenges through strong supplier relationships, forward planning, and strategic sourcing.
• Work closely with regional category colleagues (where applicable) to secure national supply agreements and leverage group buying power.
• Understand market dynamics, pricing trends, and competitor positioning to influence decision‑making and category direction.
• Support and engage internal teams including Pricing, Stock, and Finance to ensure pricing accuracy, stock availability, and commercial performance.
• Act as the national civils category expert, providing insight, guidance, and support to branches and commercial leadership.
• Review category dashboards, reporting tools, and performance tracking, ensuring insights are translated into clear commercial actions.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong civils & drainage product knowledge and experience in builders’ merchant or distribution environments.
• Proven commercial insight with the ability to drive growth through category strategy.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, comfortable influencing senior leaders and motivating branch teams.
• Strategic mindset with hands‑on approach -able to balance planning with field execution.
• Confident negotiator with strong supplier management capability.
• IT‑proficient -strong Excel skills (data analysis, reporting, modelling) and solid PowerPoint capability to build compelling business cases, category decks, and supplier proposals.
• Ability to interpret and present data clearly to drive commercial decisions.
• Proactive, organised and self‑driven with strong commercial numeracy and attention to detail.
• Adaptable, collaborative and comfortable operating at pace in a growing business.

Behaviours & Expectations

• Conduct yourself professionally at all times and represent Huws Gray in a positive and respectful manner.
• Demonstrate integrity, commercial discipline, and a strong customer‑focused approach.
• Build trust and credibility with colleagues, suppliers, and customers through consistent behaviour and strong communication.
• Operate with resilience, a growth mindset, and a commitment to collaborative success.

Location & Travel

This is a national role which will involve travel and occasional nights away. You will spend time in branches, with suppliers, and at our offices in Anglesey or Cambridge, as required.