Category & Trends Manager

Boots UK; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail pharmacy in Nottingham is seeking a Category Manager to drive the Boots Ignite program focusing on Wellness trends. The successful candidate will need strong commercial awareness, team management skills, and the ability to build valuable relationships with suppliers. Creativity and strategic insights are essential for delivering impactful launches in a fast-paced environment. This permanent role offers competitive benefits.

Benefits

Boots Retirement Savings Plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous employee discounts

Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay

Flexible benefits scheme

Access to free 24/7 counselling

Qualifications

• Passion for the industry and ability to inspire a team.
• Strategic delivery of category plans with suppliers.
• Understanding customer needs and translating insights to strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team in driving business performance.
• Build strong relationships with supplier partners.
• Deliver commercial plans to launch content effectively.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Team management

Relationship building

Creativity

Job description

Contract: Permanent

Location: Nottingham

About the role

The market has shifted dramatically in recent years – fuelled by social media and the pace of change in categories such as Beauty and Wellness – there are more trends, more brands and more products than ever before. Boots Ignite was introduced in response to this - and the growing demand for new and trending content at Boots. With 'new' being the key driver of store choice for customers in the UK, launching a strong pipeline of new and trending brands in Boots is critical to the growth we need to achieve.

We have big ambitions to shape the future of the industry through the Boots Ignite programme and become the market leader for trending content in store, online and on our owned channels, radically improving our ability to launch new trends and brands into the market. Boots will become the trending Beauty and Wellness destination to test, play and experience the most innovative products in the market.

It\'s the biggest change to how we have launched new brands in recent years and this role is pivotal in evolving and managing that process and pipeline to maintain and accelerate its success.

Role context

Wellness is a key growth driver for the business in the coming years – and this role will play a fundamental role in achieving our ambitious targets. The successful candidate will ideally have an interest or passion in the Wellness category, aware of the latest trends and consumer demands in the space.

They will need to be comfortable with working at pace, building excellent relationships both internally and externally, as well as across functions. They\'ll be able to demonstrate great team management skills, and work with agility to deliver the best opportunities for Boots. They will have strong commercial acumen and be comfortable with challenging the status quo, bringing new thinking and perspectives and driving through the delivery of the brands.

They\'ll also need creativity to develop emerging trend led categories working with smaller suppliers new to Boots, influencing internal stakeholders and challenging existing processes.

Reporting to the Global Head of Foresight, Trends and Ignite, the Category Manager will be an incredibly important member of the ever growing Commercial Trends team. They\'ll be ready to build on the success of Ignite and delve deeper into the world of Wellness trends whilst delivering commercial plans to launch content at pace and with impact!

Key Requirements

• Have a passion for the industry to lead and inspire a team through the highs and lows of trading.
• Be responsible for the strategic delivery of the category plans.
• Building great relationships with our supplier partners to create the best possible launch plans.
• Have the passion to be the expert in Wellness trends, partnering with our supplier network and wider trends function to do so
• Be comfortable with ambiguity and willing to 'lean in' to support the wider team
• Lead a team supporting them to drive the business.

What you\'ll need to have

• You\'ll build great relationships internally and externally, using those relationships to make the most of every opportunity.
• You\'ll have strong commercial awareness with a deep understanding of customer needs and motivations – able to translate insight to strategy to trade plans which capitalise on customer and market opportunities.
• You\'ll be someone who creates commitment and belief in others – playing an important role in ensuring suppliers and internal stakeholders are bought in to the vision for the future of the business.

It would be great if you also have

• Previous experience in trading

Our benefits

• 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.

We have a great range of benefits in addition to the above that offer flexibility to suit you - find out more at boots.jobs/rewards. Exclusions may apply, eligible roles only. Please note, any salary estimates given on third-party sites are not provided or endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.

Why Boots

At Boots, we foster a working environment where consideration and inclusivity help everyone to be themselves and reach their full potential. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all. As the heart of everything we do at Boots, with you, we change for the better.

What\'s next

Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.

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