Junior Category Buyer / Category Executive

Here at Hays, I am currently recruiting for a Junior Category Buyer / Category Executive for a leading Retail client based in Leeds. This is a fast-paced customer-facing role that is paying up to £28,400 per annum depending on experience. This is a hybrid role with 2-3 days per week required in the Leeds office.
You will be reporting directly to the Senior Category Manager and be taking lead of the category agenda within a specified retail customer. You will be developing category relationships within a specific retail channel and supporting the Senior Category Manager in the delivery of insight to their retailers, taking ownership of agreed elements within customer meetings. You will be supporting the business in category reporting, sharing within various forums. Helping to identify and understand shopper and consumer insights, to deliver against the category strategy.
Your key responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the Category Strategy
• Work with the internal commercial team to identify category opportunities using market, retail, consumer, and shopper insight data to help formulate category plans in conjunction with the wider category team and sales & marketing teams.
• Interrogate all 3rd party data sources (e.g. IRI, Kantar) to distil key development areas.
• Leading on the development of a given sub-brand from a category perspective.
• Establishing a regular and positive category relationship with a specified customer, maintaining our reputation as the experts in the category, encouraging the development of joint category initiatives and planning.
• Support the category team objectives to provide specific retailers with robust recommendations for current range and new opportunities, linked to category segmentation and shopper insight.
• Liaise with Account managers to ensure Category Management initiatives/actions are captured in detail within individual account plans of specified customers.
• Contribute to the monthly and bi-monthly internal presentations following analysis of market data information.
• Capture relevant activity within specified retailers and share with the team.
• Contribute to any ad hoc reporting required within the category team.

Key skills/experience we are looking for:

• Business related degree or equivalent
• High level of analytical and data interpretation
• Experience of IRI, Kantar database would be preferred.
• IT Literate (MS Office) and numerate
• Experience of a commercial role in an FMCG environment.
• Experience of working with or within multiple retailers.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong communication skills and ability to engage with customers.

This role would be great suited to a driven and self-motivated individual who is looking to drive their career forward with a large reputable brand.
If this role sounds of interest, please click 'apply' for a confidential discussion about your career.

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