Category Buyer

Apply now Job no: 562641
Work type: Full time
Site: Redditch
Categories: Buying
Location: Worcestershire
Salary: Competitive
Business Area: Halfords Support Centre

We’re evolving our Commercial team into a dynamic Category Management model that’s fully aligned with our Retail strategy. This transformation creates a future-ready function that blends strategic insight, customer focus, and stronger cross-functional collaboration. Our approach empowers teams, sparks innovation, and drives data-led decisions that deliver sustainable growth.

To bring this vision to life, we’re investing in our people - expanding capacity and nurturing talent across our Category teams. It’s an exciting time to join Halfords, where you’ll discover exceptional development opportunities and have the chance to make an immediate, meaningful impact. If you’re ready to help lead the way in an ever-evolving retail landscape, we’d love to hear from you.

Step into a pivotal role at the heart of our retail operation. As a Category Buyer, you’ll take full ownership of a key business area, steering sourcing and procurement activities that directly support category strategy and company profitability.

Working alongside the Head of Category, you’ll help shape an exceptional product range, deliver robust pricing frameworks, and ensure critical business KPIs are consistently met. This role is central to building and managing strategic supplier relationships, across UK partners, brands, and our global partners - ensuring our direct sourcing activities remain best in class while achieving strong net profitability for the category.

A role for a commercially sharp, influential, and relationship-focused professional ready to make a meaningful impact in a fast-moving retail environment.

• Build and manage strong, long-term relationships with key suppliers to drive collaboration, competitive advantage, and industry-leading ways of working.
• Deliver ongoing sourcing benefits through effective negotiation, securing promotional support, and achieving net profitability targets that fuel category performance.
• Identify and introduce new suppliers, explore alternative markets, and develop buying alliances that enhance the Halfords proposition.
• Regularly assess category performance, monitor KPIs, and apply data-driven insights to make informed decisions that boost results.
• Develop and deliver category-specific ESG initiatives, highlighting key opportunities and challenges while supporting broader organisational goals.
• Work collaboratively with teams such as eCommerce, Marketing, and Supply Chain to execute category priorities and ensure seamless delivery.
• Provide coaching and guidance to Assistant Buyers, equipping them with the support and resources needed to execute sourcing plans effectively.
• Drive cost-of-goods improvements through market analysis, tendering, supplier challenge, and the effective use of profitability models to secure the best commercial outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Category Manager and Own Brand Manager to build a world-class own brand proposition, delivering ambitious targets while ensuring product quality, value, and brand principles are consistently upheld.

• A highly motivated retail professional with strong multi-channel Buying or Category Management experience, thriving in fast-paced and dynamic environments.
• A confident, results-driven negotiator with a proven track record of delivering procurement benefits and managing strategic supplier relationships. You will have experience in global sourcing and own-brand development.
• A customer-focused, data-driven thinker who uses insight and analytics to enhance range propositions and improve purchasing performance.
• Commercially sharp and resilient, with the ability to plan effectively and manage competing priorities.
• A natural leader who can inspire, guide, and motivate both direct reports and cross-functional colleagues to achieve shared goals.
• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, car allowance, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
• Commitmen…