Overview

Category Manager Designate – Catering (Up to 10-month FTC) – Booker Group

Location: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1LT

Shift Hours: 38 hrs per week (Monday – Friday)

Salary: Competitive

Reporting to: Category Manager                          Based: Wellingborough / Watford

Job Summary 

Play a key role in shaping our product categories, delighting customers, and driving cash profit – all while building standout skills in a major UK business.
We’re excited to offer a 10‑month fixed‑term opportunity to join our Catering team as a Category Manager – Designate. This role is perfect for someone who wants to accelerate their career, gain hands‑on experience in a large, well‑established organisation, and develop the kind of commercial skills that open doors.
As a Category Manager – Designate, you’ll be stepping into a role designed around your growth. You’ll work closely with an experienced mentor, be supported by a structured development programme, and get real exposure to how a major product function operates. You’ll build confidence, learn how to manage a product portfolio, and contribute to decisions that genuinely impact the business.
Whether you’re looking to step up, switch direction, or gain experience in a competitive field, this role gives you the platform to do it – with the backing of a respected brand and a team invested in your development.
This is a hybrid role, giving you the flexibility to balance focused home working with valuable in‑person collaboration.
  • The development and implementation of category plans ensuring delivery of sales, margin and profit are met whilst maintaining continuity of product availability.
  • Source and manage products to grow both brand and own brand sales and profitability.
  • Work with suppliers to deliver best availability, profitability and customer satisfaction.
  • Seek and react to customer feedback to help shape the category plan.
  • Develop and communicate a category plan for the relevant product category.
  • Ensure product range reflects customer needs, e.g. follows the principles of good, better and best.
  • Communicate and develop relationships across other parts of the business, e.g. supply chain, sales teams and operations.
  • Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence championing diversity and inclusion.

Operational skills relevant for this job

  • Exceptional communication & stakeholder management
  • Be able to work independently to problem solve and make commercial decisions
  • Solid understanding of commercial requirements, profit calculation, sales analysis,
  • Attention to detail, writing of reports, interpreting data and keeping of accurate records.
  • Maintain knowledge of relevant markets  and market developments
  • Ability to flex work approach 

Experience relevant for this job:

  • Understanding of Buying 

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