Location:
This role is offered on a permanent basis. It is a hybrid role, offering a combination of being able to work remotely and from our Corby, London (Kings Cross) or Manchester office
Contract Type:
Permanent
The Opportunity
We’re looking for a Senior Director of Category Management to lead the development and execution of category strategies that drive profitable growth, customer acquisition, and ROI. This role is pivotal in shaping our regional supplier portfolio, product range, and growth initiatives, ensuring alignment with group, regional, and local stakeholders.
What You Will Be Doing
1. Develop and execute category strategy and business plans aligned with regional and local go-to-market strategies.
2. Deliver budgeted category revenue, margin, and stock metrics.
3. Build and maintain senior-level relationships with strategic suppliers to optimize joint business growth.
4. Lead and coach the category team, driving talent development and succession planning.
5. Define KPIs and priorities for the team, ensuring alignment across cross-functional category leadership teams.
6. Support execution of regional initiatives and NPI plans, achieving agreed revenue targets.
7. Drive a digital mindset within the team to enable better business decisions.
What You’ll Bring
8. Proven experience managing within a matrix organization.
9. Expertise in Buying and Product/Category Management with a track record of delivering growth and profitability.
10. Strong supplier management and negotiation skills.
11. Ability to work effectively across cultures and communicate with diverse stakeholders.
12. Demonstrated leadership in developing high-performing teams.
13. Strong commercial acumen and problem-solving capabilities.
14. Adaptability to change and ability to drive transformation.
Desirable:
15. Technical expertise or relevant technology experience.
16. Multilingual communication skills and international experience.
We Are RS
We’ve been solving industry problems for over 80 years. We turn the ‘what ifs’ into the ‘why nots’, the impossible into the possible.
Our purpose? Making amazing happen for a better world.
We offer service and product solutions to over 1.2 million customers globally, shipping a parcel every 2 seconds to over 130 countries. With over 800,000 stocked and 3 million unstocked products, we’re a trusted partner to the world’s leading industries.
We’re looking for curious, driven, and empathetic professionals to join our journey. People who think differently, act with purpose, and want to make a real impact.
Rewards
Our Reward Strategy Philosophy is designed to offer market competitive base salaries and provide all of our people the opportunity to participate in a short-term incentive, enabling them to share in the success of the Company.
Our total reward package is more than just the cash; our recognition and benefit offering provide the opportunity for us to recognise, reward and enable the wellbeing of our people at all stages of their journey with RS. Our rewards and benefits vary by country, but include:
17. Financial – Pension/Retirement; Life Assurance; Salary Finance (payroll deduction loan scheme)
18. Wellbeing – Medical plans; Health Screening; Critical Illness; Disability insurance; Holiday/Paid Time Off; Employee Assistance Programme; discounted Gym/Health Club membership
19. Lifestyle – Transportation assistance schemes (e.g., Cycle to Work, travel loans, car leasing); onsite catering/lunch vouchers; retail discounts
20. Spotlight – our global recognition programme provides a platform to highlight and recognise people role modelling our values
Ready to Make Amazing Happen?
Join c. 9,000 colleagues and help us shape the future of our industry. Whoever you are, wherever you are — it all starts here.
If you would like to find our more :
The Hiring Manager for this position is Kristian Olsson