Category Manager

Foodbuy is a leading food procurement organisation based in the UK. With over £1bn of managed spend, we bring together the widest range of foodservice and hospitality clients on the planet to buy food, and everything associated with it. We work closely with our clients to deliver expert procurement services saving them both time and money and enabling them to focus on what really matters to their businesses.

We are looking to hire a Category Development Manager to take overall accountability for the management of the strategic Impulse category. This role reports into the Head of Retail and will manage a spend of c. £20 million as well as contributing to the delivery of the overall business plan for all Retail areas of spend c £270m.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for day to day supplier & contract management ensuring the business relationship is maximised through conducting periodic / quarterly business reviews in line with supplier positioning matrix and responsible for owning overall relationship matrix and hierarchy
• Development of the category strategy & long range income growth plan (3 years) utilising continuous improvement tools and processes to effectively drive sustainable business volume growth opportunities (MAP2), optimise quality and gross margin delivery, APL / supply chain compliance & contract conversion to grow category rebate delivery and maximise the overall commercial value from Strategic sourcing through the category development process.
• Providing effective leadership & development to a category buyer
• Foodbuy Procurement Framework (FPF) – Ownership of steps 1, 3, 4 & 5 (business needs, category strategy, implementation and continuous improvement)
• Accountable for process stewardship to effectively capture and influence business requirements across the impulse spend for the UK&I to help win and retain clients and consumers within Compass & the External Business (individual accountability for category spend) and responsible for effective implementation of agreed ranges & supply chains post sourcing events from Strategic Sourcing team (SS)
• Accountable for into Distributor service levels from contracted manufacturers, ensuring the service level exceeds business expectations and delivers volume growth
• Delivering Customer and market focus – through close supplier relationships, competitor understanding and the exploitation of market driven data i.e. Minetec to create market leadership for the businessExperience required:

• Is a world class negotiator
• Continually looks for category development opportunities that will advantage Foodbuy’s clients in their marketplace
• Provides leadership and guidance across the function & is accountable for the results and outputs of their team
• Is committed to attaining the highest levels of commercial success individually & for the team
• An expert with analytical tools, able to draw conclusions and communicate recommendations from complex data via a holistic approach and not just functional optimisationProject Management
• Creates and manages multiple project plans and can prioritise multiple demands effectively and with consensus.
• Monitors all category projects and provides guidance and leadership proactively to ensure collaboration to achieve desired results with each project.Holding People Accountable
• Strong management skills
• Taking fair, considerate, firm and documented action to hold people to the expectations. This includes providing feedback and following up regularly.We ensure you/'re rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury/'s, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families