Senior Category Leadership Opportunity

Harbourne Associates Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

10% bonus opportunity

Car allowance

Private healthcare

Long-term career growth

Job summary

Harbourne Associates Ltd is supporting a well-established international retail and consumer business with a Senior Category Leadership Opportunity. As Head of Category Management, you will own the category function, drive performance across multiple product areas and markets, and lead a team of category professionals in a fast-paced, multi-brand environment.

You'll work with senior leadership to align strategies, strengthen supplier relationships, and implement new ways of working to deliver

Qualifications

• Significant experience within Category Management, Buying, Merchandising or Commercial Leadership.
• Experience leading and developing managers and wider commercial teams.
• Strong retail, FMCG, consumer goods or multi-brand background.
• Proven experience managing supplier relationships and commercial negotiations.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify growth opportunities.
• Experience working within fast-paced, matrix-style organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing category management team.
• Define and implement category strategies across multiple product areas.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and commercial partners.
• Identify new opportunities for growth, innovation and market expansion.
• Review product performance and drive continual improvement across the portfolio.
• Improve cross-functional collaboration across commercial, marketing and operational teams.
• Drive greater consistency, pace and accountability across the category function.
• Influence senior stakeholders and contribute to wider business strategy.
• Lead commercial negotiations and supplier discussions.
• Ensure effective planning, forecasting and delivery against commercial objectives.

Skills

Category management

Commercial leadership

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Supplier relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

Harbourne Associates are supporting a well-established international retail and consumer business with the a Senior Category Leadership Opportunity.

This is a newly created leadership opportunity that will play a key role in driving the future direction of a sizeable category and commercial function across multiple product areas and markets.

Operating within a fast-paced, multi-brand environment, you'll lead a team of experienced category professionals while working closely with senior leadership to improve commercial performance, strengthen supplier relationships and create greater consistency across the wider category function.

This is a highly visible role with genuine influence, offering the opportunity to shape strategy, introduce new ways of working and drive long-term growth.

About the Opportunity

We're looking for an experienced commercial and category leader who thrives in complex retail environments and enjoys bringing together people, processes and commercial strategy.

You'll inherit an established team and will be responsible for creating alignment, improving communication, identifying new growth opportunities and ensuring category plans support wider business objectives.

The successful candidate will be a strong leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution while building credibility across multiple stakeholder groups.

The Role

As Head of Category Management, you'll take ownership of the category function, driving performance, consistency and commercial decision-making across multiple product categories.

You will be responsible for leading and developing a team of category professionals whilst ensuring trading, supplier and product strategies support the wider commercial goals of the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing category management team.
• Define and implement category strategies across multiple product areas.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and commercial partners.
• Identify new opportunities for growth, innovation and market expansion.
• Review product performance and drive continual improvement across the portfolio.
• Improve cross-functional collaboration across commercial, marketing and operational teams.
• Drive greater consistency, pace and accountability across the category function.
• Influence senior stakeholders and contribute to wider business strategy.
• Lead commercial negotiations and supplier discussions.
• Ensure effective planning, forecasting and delivery against commercial objectives.

What We're Looking For

• Significant experience within Category Management, Buying, Merchandising or Commercial Leadership.
• Experience leading and developing managers and wider commercial teams.
• A strong retail, FMCG, consumer goods or multi-brand background.
• Proven experience managing supplier relationships and commercial negotiations.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify growth opportunities.
• Experience working within fast-paced, matrix-style organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions-focused approach.

Desirable

• Experience within grocery, beauty, personal care, consumer products, or branded retail environments.
• Exposure to international markets.
• Experience leading business transformation or organisational change.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics or similar ERP systems.

What's On Offer?

• Competitive Base Salary
• 10% bonus opportunity
• Car allowance
• Private healthcare
• Hybrid working
• Significant autonomy and influence
• Opportunity to shape a newly evolving structure
• Long-term career growth within an international business

Why Apply?

This is a rare opportunity to join a commercially ambitious business at a pivotal stage of development.

You'll have the chance to influence strategy, lead change, develop teams and work closely with senior leadership to help shape the future direction of a significant category function.

If you're an experienced category, buying or commercial leader looking for a high-impact role with genuine visibility and influence, we'd love to hear from you.