Category Manager - Furniture

Here at AIS, we have an exciting opportunity available for a Category Manager  to join our Furniture team based in Solihull. We offer hybrid working on-site and from home. You will join us on a full-time, permanent basis,

AIS is the UK and Ireland’s leading buying and services group for fashion, home and leisure for independent retail. The business is now entering an exciting time of change, with a new Managing Director at the helm and a transformational agenda to bring a more commercial and customer-focused approach to this well-established and successful organisation.

As our Category Manager, you will work to the AIS and divisional product strategy to achieve a leading edge, commercial, sustainable, and profitable product offer. Working collaboratively living the company values, working as one team.

Key responsibilities as our Category Manager

• Contribute and work cross functionally to the overall division strategy by participating in product, brand and sales reviews with the senior team
• Demonstrate commercial awareness and product expertise through sourcing new products, brands and suppliers. Utilise industry resources (shows, industry news etc)
• Contribution to the management of the P & L’s, have a general awareness of its principles and make decisions to maximise sales and minimise costs
• Develop commercial, seasonal Own Brand, Brand and exclusive ranges
• Using trade insight, create optimum good, better and best range construction to deliver commercial and profitable ranges, working to category budgets, commercial margins and critical path
• Make informed decisions, trend, market data, member feedback, industry press and trade shows, sales data, competitor landscape
• Provide a high standard of customer service by making regular Member calls or visits to build relationships
• Manage member relationships through webinars, strategy groups, member calls and attending member meetings to drive collaborative AIS member and supplier engagement and to launch suppliers and initiatives.
• Visit Member stores in line with the travel budget and in liaison with other divisions
• Setting clear objectives and reporting on actions and findings
• Demonstrate effective utilisation of internal systems, e.g., Tradeislands, Merch system, Hub, Yammer, Cenpac reporting and any supplier B2B systems.Build and manage Supplier relationships, create joint business plans with strategic supplierS
• Negotiate favourable terms (including rebates) for the members and devise offers and promotional support
• Work collaboratively with Partnership Manager in respect of Compliance, Regulatory BS Standard guidelines, waste & packaging regulations, logistics, Shipping / Freight, Ethical Trading Policies, governing bodies such as FIRA / BIRA / BRC and monitor supplier service performance.
• Identify new suppliers that support the strategy, emerging brands, new sourcing routes, incremental categories, and products with consideration for good, better and best mix requirements

What we’re looking for in our Category Manager:

• Experienced in buying with an exceptional commercial eye for product
• Experience in buying autonomously included branded and own label
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills, ability to prioritise multiple tasks. 
• Strong commercial awareness of Furniture product category and the overall market.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate verbally and in writing at all levels
• Creative thinker, with the ability to think outside the box.
• Exceptional negotiator with strong influencing skills
• A flexible and reliable team player
• Numerate and computer literate with competence in Excel, PowerPoint and Word

If you feel you have the skills and experience needed to become the Category Manager at AIS, then please click ‘apply’ today! We’d love to hear from you.