Category Controller

Category Controller
- Own Brand
- North London

80,000 - 90,000 + benefits 30 days holiday including bank holidays

Are you an experienced Trading, Buying or Category leader looking for a senior role where you can genuinely influence strategy, profitability and customer proposition?

We're looking for a commercially driven Category Controller to lead an established category team, with a particular focus on Own Brand development, trading performance and category strategy
.

This is a high-profile leadership opportunity within a large, successful and growing FMCG business, offering significant scope to shape the proposition and deliver meaningful commercial change.

You'll take ownership of category performance, leading a team of Category Managers and Category Assistants while working closely with senior stakeholders across the business.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading Own Brand category strategy and development
  , ensuring a compelling customer proposition across quality, value and innovation.
• Owning P&L, budgets, margin and sales performance
  , driving profitable growth.
• Developing and executing strategic trading plans to deliver ambitious commercial targets.
• Leading, coaching and developing a high-performing category/trading team
  .
• Building and leveraging strong supplier relationships
  , including high-value commercial negotiations.
• Using data, customer insight and market trends to identify opportunities and drive better decisions.
• Working closely with Finance, Supply Chain and other functions to optimise margin, availability, quality and operational performance
  .
• Driving continuous improvement and delivering meaningful business step change
  .

We're looking for a senior commercial leader with:

• Significant experience in Food Retail, FMCG, Wholesale, Buying, Trading or Category Management
  .
• Proven experience leading a trading/category team with significant commercial accountability.
• Strong P&L, margin and commercial management experience.
• A track record of negotiating high-impact deals and delivering improved profitability.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to turn data into commercial action.
• Experience developing and leading teams in a complex, multi-functional environment.
• Strong understanding of merchandising, profitability, supply chain and customer proposition
  .
• Strategic thinking capability, with a proven record of delivering commercial transformation and step change
  .
• Excellent communication, influencing and senior stakeholder management skills.

• 80,000 - 90,000 salary
• 30 days holiday including bank holidays
• Pension
• Private Medical
• Life Assurance
• Onsite parking
• Senior leadership position with significant commercial influence
• Genuine opportunity to shape and grow the Own Brand proposition
• Opportunity to lead and develop a talented category team
• A role with real ownership of P&L, strategy, margin and business transformation
• The backing and scale of a 4.5bn+ diversified group
  , operating across multiple sectors and international markets
• A collaborative, inclusive environment where different perspectives and backgrounds are valued

If you're an ambitious Category Controller, Trading Controller, Senior Buying Manager or Commercial Director ready to take ownership of a major Own Brand proposition and deliver significant commercial impact, we'd love to hear from you.