Job Description
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 10/01/2025
Recruitment Partner: Anastasia Walker
About the role
Welcome to the Boots Opticians Commercial Team – an exciting and fast-paced team at the heart of Boots Optician’s customer proposition and growth plans. As customers are changing, so are we! We’re focusing on really understanding our customers’ needs and making sure we have brands and products to excite them, and meet their needs. Our team is all about collaboration, ensuring we work effectively across Support Offices and from Suppliers right through to Stores.
Reporting to the Head of Commercial, this Category Manager role is responsible for the end-to-end management of products and suppliers across our Frame, Lens and Accessories & Solutions categories. The role leads a team of four Buyers, and these categories account for more than 60% of Boots Optician’s annual revenue. You will:
Key Responsibilities
* Manage the frame, lens and accessories & solutions product categories; work through a team of buyers and across business functions to execute activity which ensures Boots Opticians meets the needs of our customers through our product portfolio, driving category margin growth.
* Deliver product and category performance analysis to generate meaningful insights which drive business and category review.
* Lead a team of Buyers to execute category, product, supplier and pricing strategies, managing end to end product lifecycle, and cost and retail pricing.
* Manage supplier negotiations and contracts; drive category margin through end to end supplier negotiations including cost pricing and securing supplier funding to support refresh and promotion activity.
* Budgeting, forecasting and performance reporting; develop and use category insight to inform budget and forecast planning and review delivery against category objectives.
What you’ll need to have
* Strategic thinking and execution; able to define category and growth strategies, and effectively plan and implement change across multiple stakeholders and a large retail estate.
* Ability to interpret data to draw meaningful insight and make decisions to drive commercial benefit.
* Budgeting; able to develop budgets and forecasts to plan for the impact of various activities.
* Negotiation; with suppliers (and multiple internal stakeholders) to navigate decisions and drive strategic commercial benefit.
* Leadership and influencing; lead a team to plan and execute change across the category, and work cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders to deliver.
It would be great if you also have
* Optical industry knowledge; understanding of the levers and interdependencies between categories in this sector.
* Buying and product development experience.
Our benefits
* Boots Retirement Savings Plan.
* Discretionary annual bonus.
* Generous employee discounts.
* Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child.
* Flexible benefits scheme including holiday buying, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and more.
* Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.
We have a great range of benefits in addition to the above that offer flexibility to suit you - find out more at boots.jobs/rewards. Please note, any salary estimates given on third-party sites are not provided or endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.
Why Boots Opticians
At Boots Opticians, we foster a working environment where consideration and inclusivity help everyone to be themselves and reach their full potential. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all. Join our team and let’s see what’s possible when we change for the better.
What's next
Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.
Business Area
Support Office
Specialism
Buying
Keywords
Category manager, management, buying, retail.
Hours per week
37.5
Region
East Midlands
County
Nottinghamshire
Country
UK
Address
Recruitment Service Centre (D94), Thane Road, Nottingham
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