Category Project Manager

As a Category Project Manager within M&S Food, you'll lead a team responsible for delivering product activity from concept through to artwork. You'll bring structure, clear ownership and strong accountability to complex programmes, ensuring launches stay on track and are delivered right first time.

Working across Trading, Product Development, Technical, Design, Packaging, Supply Chain and suppliers, you'll create clear plans, manage risks early and make sure decisions are taken at the right time. This is a great opportunity for an experienced project leader who enjoys improving how things work, developing others and bringing clarity to fast-paced and complex activity.

Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

What you'll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Lead and develop a team of Category Project Managers, creating clear direction, strong ownership and consistent delivery across complex programmes
• Create and lead critical paths and end-to-end processes, bringing cross-functional activity together into one clear delivery plan
• Lead delivery across Trading, Product Development, Technical, Design, Packaging, GSPs, suppliers and Supply Chain
• Provide clear, forward-looking updates on progress, risks, actions and decisions, escalating issues before key milestones are affected
• Drive continuous improvement across launch, artwork and system processes, simplifying ways of working and reducing unnecessary replanning

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

• A strong track record of delivering complex programmes in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment
• Proven people leadership experience, with the ability to set direction, coach others and create clear accountability
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills, with the confidence to bring practical options and recommendations
• Excellent organisation and communication skills, with the ability to influence colleagues and senior partners
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear, concise and decision-focused updates

What's in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We're inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you've completed your probation
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone's welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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