Category Manager

**The Role**:
Key criteria for category assortments will require good analytical skills with strong market, product, knowledge along with a strong understanding of legislative, raw material and manufacturing capacity availability. The category assortments should be a well-developed combination of own brands, innovation, national brands, and sustainability addressing customer and market emerging needs.

Based in Burlington, Ontario and reporting to the Director, Category Management. This position has the full sales and margin responsibility for the subcategory management, sourcing, and product development functions. The category scope includes Disposable gloves, Head Protection, Ear Protection, Eye Protection, Work Gloves, Safety Supplies, etc.

Our data tells us that the Canadian Market opportunity for Safety Supplies is $2,195 billion.

**Key Relationships**:
Reports to: Director, Category Management, Bunzl Canada

Other Key Relationships: Business Segment VP’s, Business Segment Sales Leaders, Canada Marketing VP and Marketing Team, Segment Replenishment Teams. Operations, Vendors, Trade Associations

**Major Responsibilities**:

- The Category Manager, is responsible for building and delivering category assortments, plans and financial targets for their subcategory responsibility with the business segments. Key success measures are sales and gross margin year on year growth.
- work closely with the Category VP & Director to build, the necessary skills and requirements to deliver annual categories sales and margin growth.
- use their previous experience and leadership skills to build product specifications, differentiated product features and costing targets when developing and delivering Company Own and Sustainability Brands in select categories.
- use their previous experience to use the stage gate process for new product development when collaborating with the segment VP’s, Sales Leaders, and Marketing.
- use their previous experience to effectively source categories for sales and margin growth.
- use their previous experience to manage and optimize back side margin programs (profit).
- use their previous experience to build and use data for tracking and insights of key category inputs of cost and capacity for competitive advantage.
- use their previous experience to build and use vendor performance scorecards for select category vendors.
- work closely with peers and team in the United States to collaborate and build “win win” category opportunities where they exist.
- build the resource to integrate with the BNA sustainability Director and maintain key liaisons with our partner CIAL and the various legislative, trade and special interest groups affecting their subcategory responsibility.

**Critical Competencies for Success**:

- Business Skills_:_ A businessperson with strong category management and sourcing skills who understands how to build category growth through the development of category assortments as a proactive business partner in the organization. Applies business acumen with developed skills to dig deeper and identify the true category challenges to the business. Interprets the category challenges of the business and then translates them to solutions.
- Strong Desire & Attitude for Success_: A team player who can operate effectively as a member of the team; operate with a hands-on approach and get into the detail as appropriate. Has strong consultative and influencing skills; capable of persuading others, and able to quickly earn the respect of others. Passionate, positive, personable and straightforward with a good sense of humor. Acts as a role model, projecting a highly visible, energetic, motivated and ethical style dedicated to the success of the business. An excellent team player demonstrated by a track record of achieving results through the collaboration and motivation of teams.
- High Level of Compete_: A competitive person who consistently measures themselves and their team performance against external competition in Category Management. Consistently investing in their team and themselves to deliver results that consistently put them at the top of their competition. Takes tremendous pride in the team accomplishments.
- Drive for Results:_ Recognizes that the role is an important and significant contributor to the business driving sales and gross margin growth. Embraces the importance of the contribution required and sets high expectations that results will be the key measure of success.
- Expects Accountability:_ Understands the importance of the role and the expectations that come with it. Embraces the accountability for themselves and the team knowing that the success delivered against expectations is a positive and prideful reflection of their team.

**Additional Requirements**:

- **_ _**Excellent communicator up, down and across the enterprise
- Strong Souring & Purchasing Acumen
- A strong understanding of the market and competitive landscape in order to recognize