Category Manager (m/f/d)

About the role:

The Category Manager role is a key role within the EMEA Product & Supplier Management organisation, accountable for developing the category strategy and working with group, regional and local stakeholders to execute growth plans, delivering targeted profitable growth, customer acquisition and ROI.

For the technology and suppliers they are aligned to, the category manager will be instrumental in delivering a best-in-class product offer for our customers by defining the market leading brands, latest products and ground-breaking technologies that will help drive growth across EMEA. They will also be responsible for the maintenance of the supplier and product portfolio including the end-to-end product lifecycle.

Managing a portfolio of key and strategic suppliers, they are accountable for supplier management and performance, negotiating contracts and improved commercial terms whilst building the collaborative relationships (internally as well as externally) that help drive growth.

We are looking for the following category specialisms:

• Mechanical & Fluid Power
• Automation & Control

The jobholder is responsible for the following processes:

• Category/technology strategy planning, governance, and execution
• Development & execution of supplier business plans to help realise the defined category strategy.
• The use of digital data and insight to inform ranging decisions, highlight opportunities and drive accelerated portfolio & supplier performance
• Supplier management and relationship building to support delivery of growth plans
• Best in class negotiations to deliver accelerated profit
• Cost management and price maintenance
• NPI and portfolio development to help build a credible range and drive growth
• Strong communication and collaboration across relevant group stakeholders

Key Responsibilities:

• Development of best-in-class category offer, fully aligned to customer needs and the overall category strategy
• The delivery of new brands to support supplier acquisition at local, regional and group level
• Management of product lifecycle including NPI, discontinuations & revenue protection
• NPI delivery supported by the acquisition of suppliers’ transactional data and product content
• Best in class negotiations adding significant commercial value to RS
• Strong relationships with suppliers, functions and markets
• Close relationship with the private label team (RS Pro) to provide optimized range
• Influencing the NES and NPS score

Delivery of KPIs:

• Revenue & margin
• Supplier and technology growth
• Return on Investment
• Customer acquisition & customer count
• Number of products sold
• New product introduction volume & revenue
• Digital performance
• Supplier performance targets
• Inventory availability, value and health (including OA%, OTTP% & stock turn)

Your Profile:

• Category Manager/Buyer experience
• Good analytical skillset and strong attention to detail
• Experience of online trading and digital tools
• Experience in working with global supplier brands
• A collaborative team player
• Experience of working in a matrix and cross-cultural environment
• Experience of working in a Commercial environment
• Sound commercial acumen and broad communication skills
• Fluency in English and local language (German/French/Italian)
• Strong negotiation skills
• Positive can-do attitude, takes ownership and very results oriented
• Good influencing skills
• Operational problem solver and good process management capability

Our Benefits (for Germany):

• Shopping card
• Job Ticket
• Bike Leasing
• 30 days paid holidays
• Saving plans
• Pension scheme

We are RS

RS Group is a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions for designers, builders and maintainers of industrial equipment and operations. It looks to provide an unrivalled choice of products, to help its customers solve problems with innovative solutions.

At RS we’ve been solving engineering problems for over 80 years: big ones, small ones, easy and difficult ones. 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. We send out a parcel every 2 seconds, to over 130 countries. We provide over 700,000 in-stock and over 3 million unstocked products to more than 1.2 million customers.

We want people like you, as you are curious about things, you like doing things differently and also in a human way with empathy. Because that’s exactly how we partner with people – our customers, suppliers, colleagues and communities – to solve problems. We’ll also invest in your development and wellbeing – because building a more diverse and inclusive culture, being ethical, responsible and committed to our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) action plan is at the heart of everything we do.

Come and join us and we’ll help you to think big, do more and unleash your brilliance, so you do amazing things, too.

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