Head of Category Trading

Rise Resourcing; Hull and East Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Bonus potential

Healthcare

Generous holiday entitlement

Job summary

Rise Resourcing is seeking a Head of Category Trading in the UK to lead the commercial strategy and trading performance across a broad portfolio of grocery categories. The role encompasses both convenience and wholesale channels, driving ranges, pricing, promotions and profitability.

You will lead Category Managers and Assistants, shaping trading processes, improving efficiency, and maintaining competitive advantage in a fast‑moving market.

Responsibilities

• Setting the commercial direction for your categories, ensuring ranges, pricing and promotional plans deliver strong sales, margin and customer value.
• Building effective partnerships with suppliers, negotiating terms that maximise profitability and support long‑term growth.
• Working closely with Marketing, Finance and Trading Operations, you will use commercial insight and market data to refine category strategies, strengthen the customer proposition and ensure financial targets are achieved.

Job description

A major UK retail and wholesale organisation is seeking a Head of Category Trading to lead the commercial strategy and trading performance across a broad portfolio of grocery categories. The business operates at scale across convenience and wholesale, and this role will play a central part in shaping their customer offer and driving commercial results.

About the role

Reporting into the senior Trading leadership team, this is a high‑impact position with full responsibility for leading a multi‑functional category team across retail and wholesale channels. Responsibilities include:

• Setting the commercial direction for your categories, ensuring ranges, pricing and promotional plans deliver strong sales, margin and customer value.
• Building effective partnerships with suppliers, negotiating terms that maximise profitability and support long‑term growth.
• Working closely with Marketing, Finance and Trading Operations, you will use commercial insight and market data to refine category strategies, strengthen the customer proposition and ensure financial targets are achieved.

A key part of the role will be leading and developing Category Managers and Assistants, creating a high‑performance culture, ensuring clear accountability, and driving continuous improvement in how the team operates. You will also play a senior role in shaping trading processes, improving efficiency, and ensuring the business remains competitive in a fast‑moving market.

About the person

This opportunity will suit an experienced commercial leader with a background in retail or wholesale trading, buying or category management. You’ll bring strong supplier negotiation skills, a solid understanding of grocery categories, and proven experience delivering sales and margin growth. You will be confident managing and developing teams, able to influence senior stakeholders, and comfortable working in a complex environment with competing priorities. Strong analytical capability, commercial judgement and the ability to translate insight into action are essential. Experience working across both branded and own‑label ranges would be advantageous.

What you’ll get in return

The successful candidate will join a well‑established organisation with ambitious growth plans and a collaborative culture. You’ll receive a competitive salary, car allowance, bonus potential, healthcare and generous holiday entitlement. The role offers a blend of office‑based work in Yorkshire alongside one day per week of home working, within a business committed to developing its people and creating an engaging place to work.