Category Manager - Health & Beauty Roi

Join our team and be part of a company that truly lives its values. With our expertise and commitment to innovation, we aim to build trust and make health and wellness accessible to all. By fostering inclusivity and care, we work collaboratively to improve the well-being of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

We have an exciting opportunity to join us as Category Manager – Health & Beauty within our Irish Team. You'll be based at the Holland & Barrett Dublin office, on Grafton Street (D02 YV32), with the option of working flexibly in line with the company's hybrid working policy. 

As a Category Manager, you will play a key role in driving the performance of two key categories for our business in the Irish market. You will have real ownership in a varied role across ranging, trade planning, analytical and strategic project tasks.

Ideally you would have experience of previous buying or category management roles, plus have worked in retail. Your role will be pivotal in setting up the Irish Category team for success, with one direct report (Category Assistant Ireland), working closely alongside the Category Manager for Food & Sports. 

The Role:

Key Responsibilities: 

• Category Performance: Accountability for the performance of both VHMS (Vitamins, Minerals, Herbals, Supplements) and Beauty categories for Ireland. Continuously review under / over-delivery vs plan and activity in the market, ensuring you understand current trading performance, and how you can build plans and activities to drive sustainable, profitable growth 

• Supplier Relationships & Management: Build a strong supplier base to help meet H&B's local ranging needs and opportunities. Work in collaboration with them to bring relevant and meaningful products and brands to our stores and include in our digital offering.

• Range: Work?with the own label buying and product?development teams, and the local Irish branded supplier base,?to?deliver?innovative, desirable and profitable product ranges. Meet anticipated?customer demand?and improve the?commercial?performance of the categories. Work with cross function teams to deliver range reviews in Ireland to unlock growth and opportunity 

• Trade Planning: Lead the Irish promotional trade planning process and deliver the plan for the category, which is customer led and drives profitable sales growth. Work?with the trade planning?and marketing?teams?to maximise the success of promotional activity?and NPD launches. Review trade plan performance ongoing and present ideas to max/minimise trading opportunities and challenges. 

• Digital: Work with the digital team to understand our customer behaviour online and tailor purchasing mechanics for trial, conversion and repeat. Work with cross functional teams to unlock new opportunities for your categories in Ireland such as App launch, Click and Collect, optimised SLA, etc 

• Reporting & Analysis: In additional to regular performance reporting, provide?information and analysis to assess levels of slow moving & dormant stock and work with the team to clear. Maintain stock at agreed levels for planned activity and to reduce overstocks 

• Strategic projects: Ensure Ireland is considered in the planning and delivery of key strategic initiatives, relevant to your categories. Provide information, flag considerations, opportunities and potential challenges that may impact success of initiative 

• Team: Responsible for direct reports' performance and development through objective setting, coaching and development 

Location: We typically expect colleagues to spend at least two days each week at Holland & Barrett Dublin office, on Grafton Street (D02 YV32.  There may also be occasional travel to other locations.

The Person:

Key Requirements: 

- Experience of Retail Buying or Category Management 
- Experience in Health & Beauty (desirable) 
- Excellent negotiation?and influencing skills 
- Effective communication?and?time management skills 
- Strong commercial acumen and proven track record of delivering results 
- Track record of working independently
- Ability to build relationships and work cross functionally, across a supplier network and internal multi-discipline teams 
- Strong numeracy and analytical ability to understand performance, recognise trends and patterns from date to drive action 

What we offer:

Our Benefits for this role include, but not limited to:

• H&B Employee Discount - 25%
• Bonus
• 34 Days Holiday per year (Inclusive of bank holidays)
• Exclusive benefits, free advice and savings from a range of retailers and providers

We're passionate about helping every colleague thrive across all dimensions of wellbeing, and we're committed to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. In line with our EPIC values (Expertise, Pioneering, Inclusive, Caring), we embrace and actively celebrate all our colleagues unique and varying experiences, backgrounds, identities and cultures - I am me, we are H&B.

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