Category Manager

Commercial Category Manager
Up to £55,000 depending on experience plus great benefits (Work Level 6A)
Manchester City Centre, in this role you'll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least two to three times a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We're looking for a Commercial Category Manager to join us at Co-op. If you love shaping trading decisions, spotting opportunities in the market, and creating ranges and propositions that genuinely meet customer needs, this is your chance to take ownership of a category and make a real impact on our Food business.

Why this job matters

As a Category Manager, you'll play a key role in steering the direction of your category, from the products we put on our shelves to how we price and promote them. Working closely with experienced commercial leaders, you'll turn customer behaviour and performance data into trading actions that strengthen our competitiveness and help deliver our commercial goals.

You'll work closely with senior partners and commercial teams to influence decisions, back your recommendations with clear rationale, and help us create propositions that win with customers in a fast-moving retail environment. You'll join a collaborative and supportive team environment where you'll be encouraged to share ideas, challenge thinking and continue developing your commercial expertise.

What you'll do

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams and channel partners to drive category performance
• Spend time in stores and out in the market to really understand customer missions, behaviour, and changing needs
• Use data to inform clear, commercial recommendations across range, pricing, and promotions
• Support the development of category strategy and translate it into action for trading and commercial teams
• Partner with the Senior Category Manager to review performance, highlight risks or opportunities, and shape customer led plans
• Play a key role in launching new own label products and shaping promotional activity that resonates with customers
• Brief commercial teams on cost, margin and promotional plans to make sure decisions land effectively
• Support forecasting and budgeting, keeping a close eye on performance drivers and risks

What you'll bring

We're committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you'll need to bring:

• The ability to turn a mix of customer insight, sales data, and market trends into clear commercial actions
• Experience using tools such as MicroStrategy, Circana, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong commercial awareness, with an understanding of how pricing, cost, and volume decisions drive performance
• Confidence communicating with colleagues at partners at all levels and influencing decisions with well-reasoned recommendations
• A solid understanding of GSCOP and how to apply it in day-to-day decisions

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we're owned by our members. And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement. We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you'll belong

We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.