Category Specialist: Schools | JHB at Datafin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

• A leading retail group is seeking a Category Specialist: Schools  who will be accountable for growing and protecting the group’s presence in the schools segment through year-round portfolio management and consultative selling.
• This role manages an assigned portfolio of schools, onboarding new schools, retaining existing ones across seasons, and driving commercial sales across the full Back-to-School category range including stationery, office paper, furniture, technology, and hygiene products. The focus is shifting from seasonal campaigns to an Everyday Schools approach, engaging schools throughout the year to unlock their monthly commercial spend.

DUTIES:

• Manage assigned portfolio of schools with planned contact rhythm (pre-season, peak, post-peak, year-round); deliver dependable service across all product categories and maintain current stakeholder maps for priority schools
• Actively pursue and convert new schools to expand the group’s presence in assigned region; identify prospects by profile, decision-maker access, category fit, and seasonal timing; execute structured pre-season engagement
• Plan and execute Back-to-School as a deliberate campaign with pre-season pipeline build, in-season list management, and post-peak retention review; achieve monthly, seasonal, and annual revenue and gross profit targets
• Diagnose school needs before recommending through questioning on grade-level requirements, budget shape, timing, and pain points; translate requirements into accurate lists, quotes, and specifications
• Drive year-round commercial sales to keep portfolio active between seasons and unlock monthly school spend beyond peak periods; suggest fit-for-purpose options that serve schools better
• Coordinate with Key Account Management, New Business Development, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Category teams for clean fulfilment; maintain CRM currency and surface pricing pressure early
• Build organizational intelligence on the schools market by capturing and sharing structured insights on competitor activity, procurement patterns, budget cycles, and demand shifts.

REQUIREMENTS:

Required Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, Education, or related commercial field
• Solid experience in B2B sales, account management, or commercial roles with portfolio management, client retention, and new business development responsibility
• Experience working in education, institutional sales, or multi-category commercial environments; exposure to consultative selling and stakeholder relationship management
• Proficiency in CRM systems | Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) | Quoting and specification management
• Experience managing client portfolios with planned engagement cadence; working in seasonal or campaign-driven sales environments with pipeline discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications in sales, account management, or category management
• Experience in the office products, education, or B2B distribution sector
• Demonstrated success in multi-stakeholder relationship building and service recovery

KEY SKILLS | CAPABILITIES:

• Technical Skills: CRM & Sales Management Software | Microsoft Office Suite | Quoting & Specification Management | Category Knowledge (Stationery, Furniture, Technology, Hygiene) | Schools Market & Procurement Insight
• Soft Skills: Consultative Selling & Diagnostic Questioning | Stakeholder Relationship Management | Commercial Negotiation & Value Articulation | Time Management & Priority Setting | Problem-Solving & Service Recovery | Communication & Interpersonal Skills