Category Manager - Premium Beauty & Haircare

BOOTS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Boots Retirement Savings Plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous employee discounts

Enhanced parental leave pay

Flexible benefits scheme

Employee Assistance Programme (TELUS)

Job summary

Boots in Nottingham is seeking a Category Manager for Premium Beauty to own the commercial plan and trading strategy for a high-profile category. You will shape the category P+L, drive growth and partner with UK brand teams to deliver a differentiated offer.

You'll lead 4-6 colleagues and collaborate with Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising and ISM to execute an integrated plan that supports stores and boosts performance.

Qualifications

• Experience in buying or category teams.
• Strong organisational skills with multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication across stakeholders.
• Right first time mindset and cross-functional confidence.
• Strong commercial judgement using sales data and insights.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the commercial plan for the Premium Beauty category.
• Deliver the annual budget and drive category growth and market share.
• Lead and develop a team of 4-6 direct reports.
• Build a customer-led trading strategy for Premium Beauty.
• Negotiate and manage joint business plans with UK brand partners.
• Collaborate with ISM, Finance, Supply Chain and Merchandising on the category plan.
• Support stores with clear communication and operational excellence.
• Analyse market and brand performance to identify growth opportunities.
• Manage the overall category P+L with the leadership team.

Skills

Category management

Buying experience

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Commercial judgement

Job description

Contract: Permanent

Location: Nottingham

Recruitment Partner: Anastasia Walker

What you'll be doing

As Category Manager - Premium Beauty, you'll take ownership of a high-profile category within Boots' Beauty Business Unit in Nottingham, shaping the commercial plan, trading strategy and category P+L for an area that matters to customers and the wider business. This is a role for someone who enjoys combining commercial thinking with customer insight, using sales performance, market trends and supplier partnerships to keep the category moving.

You'll lead a team of 4-6 colleagues while working closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising and ISM to deliver an integrated plan that supports stores and drives growth. It's a strong opportunity for an experienced category or buying professional who wants visible ownership, major brand exposure and the chance to influence one of the UK's most comprehensive premium beauty offers under one roof.

Key responsibilities

• Own and deliver the commercial plan for the Premium Beauty category, monitoring sales performance and responding quickly where needed.
• Deliver the annual budget and help drive sustainable category growth and market share.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of 4-6 direct reports, creating clarity, pace and strong day-to-day execution.
• Build and deliver a clear, customer-led trading strategy for Premium Beauty.
• Negotiate and manage joint business plans with UK brand partners, developing strong and differentiated supplier relationships.
• Work closely with ISM, Finance, Supply Chain and Merchandising to deliver an integrated category plan.
• Support stores through clear communication, problem solving and a focus on operational excellence.
• Analyse market, product and brand performance to identify new opportunities for growth.
• Manage the overall category P+L alongside the wider Premium Beauty leadership team.

What you'll need to have (our must-haves)

• Previous experience working within a buying or category team.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and multiple big brands.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across a broad range of stakeholders.
• A high level of accuracy and a right first time mindset.
• Confidence working cross-functionally with teams such as Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising and ISM.
• Strong commercial judgement, including the ability to use sales performance and insight to make decisions.

It would be great if you also have

• Line management experience.
• A genuine passion for beauty and an understanding of what makes a premium beauty category stand out.
• An interest in building your career further within the trading function.
• Experience developing supplier partnerships or joint business plans in a retail or category environment.

This role is also perfect for someone who combines creativity with a strong commercial mindset and is excited by the opportunity to grow and evolve our Beauty Box category.

Where your brilliance can take you

This role offers the chance to deepen your experience in category management, trading and commercial leadership while owning a major premium beauty category at Boots. You'll build leadership capability through managing and developing a team, strengthen your supplier and cross-functional influence, and gain exposure to high-level category planning and P+L ownership. For someone looking to grow their career in trading, it is a strong step into broader commercial responsibility within a business that believes in giving people the trust, support and opportunity to make progress.

Rewards designed for you

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Generous employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
• Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

There's lots more in our benefits and discounts, MyBoosts - there to give you that little lift in your everyday. Find out more at http://boots.jobs/rewards. Exclusions may apply; eligible roles only. Please note that any salary estimates provided on third-party sites are not endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.

A bit about us

At Boots, we're proud to be an equal opportunity employer, creating a place where everyone feels welcome, supported and free to be themselves. We believe that when our people feel valued and included, they thrive, so we're committed to creating a brilliant Boots for our people so they can make a difference for our customers and colleagues every time.

Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case-by-case basis.