Category Trade Planning Manager - Leeds

Asda Stores Ltd.; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company based in the UK is seeking a Category Trade Planning Manager to drive sales and market share through well-executed trade plans. The role requires a methodical planner skilled in project management and stakeholder engagement. Responsibilities include collaborating with various departments, analysing sales data, and optimising promotional activity. The position offers hybrid working arrangements, a discretionary bonus, pension matching, and various wellbeing benefits that support a diverse workplace culture.

Benefits

Discretionary company bonus

Company pension up to 7% matched

Company Car allowance of £5,700

15% colleague discount in store and online

Free access to wellbeing services

Excellent parental leave policies

Qualifications

• Experience in buying, category management, or trade planning.
• Highly organised and methodical planner with strong attention to detail.
• Comfortable managing and influencing multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and execute trade plans for sales and market share.
• Analyse historical data to drive decision-making.
• Collaborate with marketing and supply chain for aligned operations.

Skills

Buying experience

Category management

Trade planning

Project management

Excellent communication

Excel proficiency

Job description

The Category Trade Planning Manager is responsible for planning, developing and executing trade plans to drive sales, market share, and profitability. Translating customer briefs and making data‑driven decisions to create a customer‑centric proposition. The role involves cross‑functional collaboration with commercial, marketing, modular planning, supply chain and retail execution teams to ensure seamless planning and execution of trade initiatives in alignment with company objectives.

Trade Planning & Rollback Execution

• Analyse historical sales data, customer insights, and market trends to provide meaningful actions as part of the quarterly planning process to support stepping on the proposition.
• Optimise event and promotional space to deliver the best return for the business, whilst capturing key learning and outputs as part of the autopsy process to inform future planning and decision‑making.
• Translate the customer proposition brief to the commercial teams, ensuring the brief is met whilst supporting the resolution of conflict vs. P&L commitments.
• Ownership of creating quarterly trade plan encompassing key feature space, market‑leading deals and range activity, whilst engaging the relevant cross‑category stakeholders to ensure the trade plan delivers against customer needs and reasons to shop at Asda.
• Support in driving clarity and consistency across the store for customers, with plans that adhere to Promotional and Pricing Principles.
• Collaborate with marketing to align trade plans with brand campaigns and ensure marketing nominations are reflective of the trade plan.

Category Strategy

• Understand the roles and intents of each department's category strategy, so we can ensure the trade plan is represented and aligned for delivering the key principles.
• This should be delivered within the category strategy framework provided by the trade planning function.

Activity Planning

• Lead the planning of promotions, pricing initiatives, and in‑store activations.
• Key facilitator between commercial, marketing, modular, supply chain, and retail execution teams, in adherence with critical path timelines to implement trade plan "Right first time".
• Work closely with key stakeholders to align rollback calendars across the business.
• Understand the key activity scopes and range changes by area to ensure these are factored into maximising the trade plan.

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in buying, category management or trade planning.
• Highly organised and methodical planner with strong project management skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable managing and influencing multiple stakeholders and balancing short‑term trading needs with long‑term strategic goals.
• Confident communicator who can facilitate cross‑functional discussions and drive alignment.
• Commercially astute with the ability to understand basic financial data e.g. sales and volume forecasts and pricing.
• Proficient in Excel and planning tools.

Hybrid Working Arrangements

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

Benefits

• Discretionary company bonus.
• Company pension up to 7% matched.
• Company Car allowance of £5,700.
• 15% colleague discount in store and online.
• Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking to theme parks and cinemas.
• Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated.
• Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves.