Category Manager

Do you have 3-5 years Category Management experience with Building Materials products?

Do you have commercial awareness, and proven success driving performance improvements within Category Management?

Do you live within a commutable distance of Binley, Coventry?

Can you work at a high pace?

Can you comfortably develop great relationships with Key Stakeholders?

Stark Building Material's UK is searching for a Category Manager to join our team.

This is a hybrid role with the requirement to work from our Head Office in Coventry regularly, as well as being out and about within our supplier and branch networks.

Job Purpose

• With the support of the Commercial/ Category Director and/or Senior Category Manager, create and lead the business plan for allocated categories of responsibility to drive strategic & tactical growth of the categories to support the delivery of the budgeted sales and profit target.
• Deliver product ranges and terms that meet the requirements of our internal and external customers providing ‘all the products to do the job’ whilst delivering the required company financial targets.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, and Experience Required

• Demonstrate successful experience in category management with a track record of delivering ranges that meet customer project needs across multiple product categories whilst delivering budgeted financial results for the company.
• Proven experience of successful fact-based negotiation and delivery in an end-to-end category management or procurement role.
• Customer focused with a clear understanding of company targets, customer needs, competitor landscape and market dynamics. The ‘Company Expert’ and ‘Go-To Person’ for allocated categories.
• Highly IT literate in appropriate Microsoft and database systems
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical skills, and ability to assimilate information into clear actionable insights and plans and able to communicate these plans to stakeholders for effective implementation and enhanced customer proposition.
• Ability to work on own or as part of a team and manage workload to tight deadlines and work under pressure managing multiple priorities and tasks.
• Determined, driven and accountable to take ownership of issues or challenges, continually driving improvement for our branches, customers, and suppliers.
• First line of contact for suppliers, internal customers, and stakeholders for allocated categories.
• Good stakeholder management with ability to coordinate and influence decision making at multiple levels and across functions to ensure delivery of business plans.
• Communicate & present confidently and articulately to board level within the company and suppliers.
• Evidence emotional intelligence, behavioural impact & self-awareness.
• Effective stakeholder engagement at all levels within the company and with suppliers. Adjusting approach, style, and behaviour as required to build effective, collaborative & successful relationships and teams.
• Be involved in and contribute to ‘non-core’ commercial activities that support development and delivery improvement across business and strategic improvements that may be areas outside of key category responsibilities.
• Ability to induct, support and coach newer and/or junior members of the teams with or without direct line management responsibility.

Key Results Area

You will:

• Demonstrate personal responsibility for own and team safety and wellbeing, promoting excellent standards as well as safe and sustainable working practices for you and your team.
• Own, create, and deliver 2–3-year strategy for responsible category areas that deliver the customer project proposition whilst meeting company commercial sale and profit targets.
• Be recognised as the first line of contact for allocated categories for all internal and external stakeholders.
• Negotiate and deliver all supplier trading agreements in line with group goals and initiatives.
• Continually evidence detailed understanding of category performance and key performance drivers identifying opportunities to improve. Generate reports and analysis to make recommendations on Ranging, Pricing, Sales, Plans and Promotions.
• Be suitably literate in the Group and UK sustainability agenda and goals and demonstrate an understanding of the impact their allocated categories, both directly and indirectly managed, have on relevant sustainability criteria (scope 3 emissions, packaging, product circularity).
• Work closely with relevant STARK UK and regional and central functions making recommendations for improvement and supporting branches to make great local decisions.
• Ensure company policies, procedures and values are always understood and demonstrated in behaviour.
• Continually build and improve internal and external stakeholder management and relationships.
• Work alongside STARK Group peers on Group category initiatives.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive Basic Salary
• Company Car Allowance
• Retirement Savings Plan (Pension) – with Legal & General
• Life Assurance - From your first day of employment with us you are automatically covered for a lump-sum death in service benefit of 2 x your basic salary. However, if you join the STARK Building Materials Retirement Savings Plan (including if you are automatically enrolled) and contribute a minimum of 4% of your Pensionable Earnings, your lump sum death in service benefit will be increased to 4 x your Pensionable Earnings.
• WorkPerks – A platform home to hundreds of all your favourite high street and online discounts via the provider Reward Gateway
• Aviva Digicare+ Workplace App (Access to a digital GP, second medical opinions, Mental Health consultation, bereavement service, nutritional consultation)
• Voluntary company benefits such as Car Salary Sacrifice scheme with VWFS, Cycle2Work, Benenden Healthcare, Critical Illness Cover
• Employee Discount
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Wellbeing Centre via WorkPerks
• New Reward and Recognition programme – launching soon!
• 34 days holidays per year

About us

We're proud to be part of STARK Building Materials UK and dedicated to providing top-quality products and exceptional service to our customers. We're a friendly and collaborative team, passionate about what we do and committed to doing it well.

If you're ready to take your career to the next level and join a team that is dedicated to providing great service, we want to hear from you. Apply today!