Category Manager

Cromwell

  • Leicester
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 8 days ago
No matter where you are in your career – or where you want to be – we’re here to create a great place to work where you can grow, perform and love what you do. At Cromwell, we’re all individuals, with unique backgrounds and personalities. But we have one thing in common: delivering exceptional service for our customers. And we do this through our purpose of Keeping Industry Working.This role is responsible for developing and managing a product portfolio to drive sales and profitable growth - using market intelligence and industry knowledge to ensure we have the best products to service our customers. Working in partnership with our centrally managed suppliers and in collaboration with cross functional colleagues to maximise supplier commercial opportunities, ensuring the most competitive procurement costs and increasing supplier income.What’s in it for you?
  • Competitive Salary
  • Company Bonus
  • Competitive annual leave allowance with annual purchase scheme
  • Group Personal Pension
  • Company Funded Healthcare Cash Plan
  • Commitment to employee development plans
  • 24/7 Wellbeing and Employee Support
  • Cycle to work scheme
Other benefits include Company Sick Pay, Company Maternity & Paternity Pay, Discount Benefits Platform and Discounted Cromwell Products.What will you do on a normal day?
  • Define & Execute Category Strategy including Exclusive Brand development
  • Range Reviews
  • Complete high quality range reviews addressing relevance portfolio opportunities using the situational analysis 5 lens approach.
  • Drive Exclusive Brand
  • Develop plans to improve sales and margin whilst creating a compelling exclusive range that creates “stickiness for our customers”
  • Marketing Initiatives:
  • Work with suppliers to develop and execute marketing programs geared towards profitable revenue growth, thinking digital first
  • Drive product performance using digital & offline channels
  • Product Life Cycle Management:
  • Manage product introduction, growth, maturity, and exit including driving through excess/obsolete inventory.
  • Category portfolio analysis
  • Analysis and reporting of product line and category performance
  • Product Costing:
  • Supplier negotiations to include but not limited to marketing funding, rebates, product cost prices, payment terms, scorecards, and performance metrics.
  • Supplier Selection and Agreements:
  • Identify the best suppliers for Cromwell’s product portfolio.
  • Negotiate, document and maintaining contractual agreements between Cromwell and its Suppliers
  • Line Management of direct reports
Key Relationships
  • Product & Buying Director
  • Product Business Unit Directors
  • External Suppliers
  • Purchasing & Inventory Teams
  • Global Sourcing Team
  • Merchandising & Marketing Teams (e.g., Direct Marketing; Digital Content)
  • Master Data Management Team
  • Sales Team
  • Operations / Branch Network Teams
  • Finance Teams (e.g., Accounts Payable; Performance Reporting)
  • Legal & Compliance Teams
What are we looking for?
  • Experience within a distribution environment and/or knowledge of a broad line distributor.
  • Commercial astute working within a high paced reselling environment.
  • Experience in delivering multi brand strategies to the product portfolio.
  • Minimum 3 years’ experience in a similar role negotiating supplier commercial agreements.
  • Demonstrable track record of successful commercial negotiations that have increased bottom-line profit.
  • Knowledge and experience of monitoring and managing annual Cost of Goods Sold (CoGs) within specified guidelines.
  • Thinks digital first
Essential Qualifications & Skills
  • Category Management expertise
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (desirable).
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication.
  • Strong decision making and influencing skills across different levels of colleagues and suppliers.
  • Demonstrable commercial knowledge, specifically around supplier commercial agreements.
  • Strong IT skills including a good understanding and usage of Microsoft Office packages.
About CromwellCromwell has been around for over 50 years, supplying an unrivalled choice of cutting tools, power tools, hand tools and safety equipment into all industries, professions and trades. We offer next day delivery or collection from our nationwide branch network, supported by an overnight UK logistics operation. Our team of over 1500 people are proud to be keeping industry working.We're all individuals, yet we're very much one united team. We treat everyone fairly - regardless of gender, sexual orientation, background, age or disability - and give everyone opportunities for new and varied experiences. Inclusion means not just accepting people for who they are, but showing respect and making adjustments to help people and remove all barriers; it's about creating a culture where everyone is respected, empowered and able to realise their full potential.Cromwell is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. We are also committed to offering applicants from the armed forces community (current and past) an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role.Information for Recruitment AgenciesWe always prefer to recruit candidates direct to our business and first, and foremost believe in promoting talent from within whenever possible.We do not accept speculative approaches including CVs and candidate profiles sent direct to Managers, by receipt of any such email or correspondence, we do not agree to terms and conditions. Any speculative CVs will be considered our own and we will not pay any agency fees.We have a PSL and those on this will have access to our portal to accept CVs. Should you want to be considered for our PSL, please email

Cromwell