Overview
Senior Category Manager - Co-op Wholesale – Manchester/Scunthorpe (hybrid working: typically two to three days per week across our Manchester and Scunthorpe offices, with at least one day each week based in Scunthorpe). Location: Manchester. Hours per week: 37.5. Salary: Up to £80,000 plus benefits. Closing date: 17-03-2026. Job ID: 1064629. Job category: Wholesale, Logistics and Supply Chain.
Senior Category Manager in our Trading team; you’ll lead a talented team of category managers and analysts to shape pricing, range, and promotional strategies for our Tobacco and NGP category that deliver real value for our partners. You’ll own your category’s performance across multiple channels, working with our Co-op buying teams and supplier network to develop a market-leading range of products. You will also be responsible for our direct-to-store (DTS) category – a fast-paced, hands-on area of the business that gets products into stores quickly.
Why this role matters
We’re building something big at Co‑op Wholesale. With a refreshed structure and exciting plans, we’re creating opportunities to strengthen our proposition for independent retailers (Nisa), key accounts, and a growing corporate client base. This is your chance to bring new ideas to life and make a real impact.
What You'll Do
* Own our Tobacco and NGP product category strategy and drive performance across channels
* Lead, support, and develop your team – helping them to grow and thrive
* Monitor category performance and ensure we’re hitting our targets
* Use data and market insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
* Collaborate with colleagues across our supply chain, finance, and operations teams
* Build strong supplier relationships to deliver value for them and Co-op
What You'll Bring
We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:
* Experience developing and owning commercial strategies across licensed product categories (e.g., alcohol, medicine, nicotine), including pricing, promotional planning, and range architecture
* A strong track record of shaping and delivering effective trading strategies across wholesale channels
* Great sales, negotiation, supplier management, and relationship-building skills
* The ability to analyse data, trends, and insights to spot opportunities to improve trading performance
* Good leadership skills, with the ability to inspire teams to deliver commercial plans
* Good communication and collaboration skills
Why Co-op?
At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. We are committed to being an inclusive organisation that puts people and communities first, with a purpose-driven culture. We also offer a range of benefits and development opportunities.
* A company car
* Private healthcare
* An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
* 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
* A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
* 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
* Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
* Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
* 24/7 colleague support service
* Training and support for your development and career progression
* Cycle-to-work scheme
A place you’ll belong
We’re building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone, and our support centre is an inclusive environment where all colleagues can thrive. If you have a disability, we’ll make reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process. We’re also proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme – if you’re disabled and you meet the minimum criteria for this job, we’ll guarantee you an interview.
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