Category Manager: Coffee at Engen

Purpose of the Job
Develop a commercial framework, based on mindful consideration of trade, customer, market and trends for the Hot & Cold Beverage Department within our Forecourt. Maintain stakeholder relationships and engagements and drive key initiatives for growth, thus ensuring the category delivers to the business objectives of profit, excellent quality, availability, assortment and market share growth.

Who You Are:

• You are dynamic thinker with a high aptitude for learning.
• You have built credibility within your organization and amongst your peers.
• You are an expert at implementation and execution of strategic objectives.
• You are passionate about retail and selling.
• You have excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• You have a reputation for being insightful and operating with integrity.

What you’ll have done before:

• Minimum 8 years’ category/buying experience within mainstream retail with five of these linked to supermarket retailers or the hospitality industry.
• NQF level 7 (BCom/Degree/Advanced Diploma with specialisation Retail, Business Management, Commercial or equivalent).
• Experience sourcing the following products (Hot and cold Beverages).
• Understanding of food services/QSR/Hospitality industry and product categories prevalent in the South African retail landscape.
• Deep knowledge of retail principles with in-depth understanding of category management.
• Entrepreneurial - ability to initiate and co-create innovative and viable business plans.
• Highly efficient in the use of analytical and financial applications.
• Proven ability to co-ordinate and delivering the category operating plan.
• Proven sourcing and stakeholder management experience and knowledge of store operations, customer profiles, locations & competitors.
• Strong negotiation and financial management skills.
• Proven ability to deliver category financial indicators.
• Strong customer and retail orientation - sound business acumen; commercial awareness; good judgment; emotional resilience.
• Knowledge and understanding of Supply Chain concepts, processes and systems.

Exciting Challenges you might face in the role:

• Immerse yourself in various aspects of the organisation.
• Influencing the strategic direction of Engen convenience business.
• Operate effectively in an ever-changing, dynamic and agile business.

What you’ll be doing:

• Manage the end to end business process milestones, timelines, category reviews and include key stakeholders at each point.
• Drive sales, promotional strategy and other financial KPI's in the establishment and growing of the Hot & Cold Beverage department.
• Forecourt strategies, processes and margin management.
• Actively review factors influencing trade i.e. market share, local & international trends, economic climate, competitor activity & changes to customer shopping habits, and translate into operation plans.
• Align commercial framework with planning & forecasting for category/ranges/products by developing appropriate store clusters, catalogues, and planogram sign offs.
• Liaise with marketing, sales management, space planning & trade planning to effectively drive the growth of the category.
• Opening of new sites and managing underperforming sites using analytics and site visits while enhancing our relationship with suppliers and the dealer network within the framework of Contractual obligations.
• Undertake regular performance reviews across categories to ensure commercials, identify trends, risks & opportunities and take appropriate action to maximise opportunities.
• Matrix interactions are crucial in facilitating the stakeholder engagement at all levels.
• Co-create profitable & sustainable Category and Supplier/Stakeholder strategies.
• Build and manage Supplier base to maintain unique & exclusive partnerships & agreements.
• Develop and implement pricing strategies.
• Drive effective integration of the matrix team.