Commercial Category Manager – Confectionary

Commercial Category Manager – Confectionary (12 month secondment)  
Up to £55,000 dependent on experience plus great benefits (Work Level 6A)
12-month secondment
Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least two times a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We're looking for a Category Manager to join us at Co-op. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a key area of our business, influencing the products we sell, the way we position them, and how we create value for our customers. If you love spotting trends, building compelling ranges, and creating propositions that genuinely connect with customers, you'll have the opportunity to make a real impact here.

Why this job matters

As a Commercial Category Manager, you'll help shape the direction of an important category, from the products we range to how we price and promote them. You'll turn customer insight, performance data, and market trends into clear trading decisions that strengthen our offer and keep us competitive.
Working closely with senior partners, suppliers, and commercial teams, you'll influence decisions that help us create a category offer customers trust and come back to, balancing quality, value, and innovation in a fast-moving retail environment.

What you'll do

•    Build strong relationships with internal teams, suppliers, and channel partners to drive category performance
•    Stay close to the market, spotting emerging trends, understanding customer needs, and identifying opportunities to evolve our range
•    Use data and insight to shape clear commercial recommendations across range, pricing, and promotions
•    Support the development of category strategy and translate it into practical, customer-led trading plans
•    Work with the Senior Category Manager to review performance, highlight risks and opportunities, and shape future plans
•    Support the development and launch of products and promotions that resonate with our customers
•    Brief colleagues on cost, margin, and promotional plans
•    Support forecasting and budgeting, keeping a close eye on key performance drivers

What you'll bring

We want this role to be accessible, so we focus on what really matters. To thrive here, you'll need:

•    Experience in a commercial, category management, buying, or merchandising environment
•    The ability to turn customer insight, sales data, and market trends into clear, commercially sound decisions
•    Strong commercial awareness, with an understanding of pricing, cost, and volume levers
•    Experience using data and reporting tools, alongside strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
•    Confidence influencing colleagues and partners at all levels with clear, well-reasoned recommendations
•    A good understanding of GSCOP and how to apply it day to day
•    A genuine interest in retail, customer behaviour, and market trends
•    Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work collaboratively across teams

Why Co-op

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

•    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 
•    Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) 
•    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 and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion.