Category Manager

Category Manager / Product Specialist / Buyer to join a leading Tools company. 
The Category Manager / Product Specialist / Buyer will be commutable to the office in Southampton and will be happy to travel internationally a couple of times a year to identify, source, create, monitor and maintain a credible range within multiple product group sub-sections whilst supporting promotional or Limited-Edition campaign opportunities.
The successful Category Manager / Product Specialist / Buyer will ideally have a background in purchasing / category management within Retail, Tooling or Automotive. 
Package 
Salary Dependent on Experience 
22 days holiday + bank holidays and birthday off 
Pension 
Responsibilities Include: 
•    The Category Manager will comprehend the sub-section and necessary requirements to provide a credible assortment to our clientele by analysing the market, understanding competitors’ offerings, and identifying areas for range profile enhancements.
•    Monitor industry trends and competitor tactics and conduct effective benchmarking to collaborate with our Sales and Marketing teams in pinpointing new product prospects.
•    Discover, procure, and introduce new products to enrich existing product categories and expand ranges based on identified new needs.
•    Unearth fresh manufacturing prospects through existing and potential supplier networks. This entails international travel to visit factories and participation in global trade exhibitions and end-user showcases in the UK.
•    Ensure the continual fulfilment of business requisites concerning item and range quality, cost-effectiveness, product advantages, features, and item profitability.
•    Collaborate with the Quality Assurance department, both domestically and abroad, to ensure adherence to pertinent UK/EU/International Standards and Directives for existing and forthcoming products.
•    Document and disseminate comprehensive product/range particulars to other departments to ensure uniform presentation, both physically and digitally, not only within individual sub-sections but across the entirety of the product range.
•    Work closely with Supply Chain and Sales counterparts to meet company demands for product availability and stock turnover, minimising the necessity for depreciation or write-downs, and optimising warehouse space utilisation.
•    Engage with internal departments and a wide-ranging external global supplier network.
•    Invest time in comprehending product quality standards and applications, maintaining a thorough understanding of the intended end-user for each product.
Requirements include:
•    Experience as a Category Manager, Product Specialist, Sourcing Manager, Purchasing Manager, Category Development Manager, Buying Category Manager, or similar. 
•    Experience in the tool industry would be ideal. 
•    Experience working in an environment with a large amount of SKUs is beneficial.
•    Experience managing the performance of your product category is beneficial.
•    A background in purchasing / category management within retail, or a catalogue sales business will be beneficial. 
•    Commutable to office in Southampton.