Head of Category Management

About the role

We’re hiring a proven commercial leader to take full accountability for one of our most strategic and commercially significant categories. This role demands someone who can set a clear direction, lead a high‑performing team, and deliver ambitious results across a complex and fast‑moving business.

You will own the category end-to-end — shaping strategy, driving performance, influencing senior stakeholders, and representing the category at the highest levels. If you’re an experienced category expert with a strong leadership track record and the confidence to operate at scale, this is a major opportunity to make a business-wide impact.

Main Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for the category, defining the long‑term vision, commercial priorities and investment focus, and ensuring execution delivers meaningful business impact.

• Lead a senior, high‑performing team, setting standards for performance, capability, pace and decision‑making, while developing future leaders and shaping the overall culture of the function.

• Define and evolve the category proposition across all channels, ensuring it delivers competitive advantage, meets diverse customer needs, and positions the business for future growth.

• Own senior supplier relationships at a strategic level, negotiating complex commercial agreements, shaping joint business plans, and ensuring the business secures a market‑leading position.

• Drive transformation and innovation, challenging current ways of working, unlocking efficiencies, and ensuring the category stays ahead of market trends, customer behaviour and commercial risk.

• Act as a key senior leader within the commercial organisation, influencing cross‑functional decision‑making, shaping enterprise‑wide priorities, and driving alignment across multiple business units.

You will need

• Significant senior experience leading a complex commercial or category function.
• A proven track record of delivering commercial results and leading teams to high performance.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management experience, with the ability to build long-term, strategic partnerships.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with influence at all levels.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgement, and the ability to simplify complexity and deliver at pace.
• Collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to developing people and building inclusive, high-performing teams.
• Flexibility, resilience and a solutions-focused mindset in a fast-moving environment.

What's in it for you

At Booker, along with being a great place to work and giving you an opportunity to get on in your career, we also offer the following fantastic package of benefits:

• A Booker colleague card with 10% off purchases at Booker and double discount events up to three times a year.
• After 3 months service, a Tesco colleague discount card with 10% increasing to 15% off most purchases at Tesco for a 4 day period after every four-weekly pay day, ie. thirteen times a year. In addition to 10% off at Tesco Cafe and 20% off all F&F purchases.
• 10% off pay monthly & SIM only deals with Tesco Mobile for yourself, along with further great deals through-out the year.
• Up to 30% off car, pet and home insurance at Tesco bank. Terms and conditions apply.
• Free eye test when you spend £50 or more. You can also save 30% when you spend £50 or more on glasses, prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.
• 50% off health checks at Tesco Pharmacy.
• Exclusive access to discounted RAC breakdown cover rates
• An exclusive deals and discounts website saving you money on everyday purchases including a cycle to work scheme.
• After 3 months service, you can join our annual Save As You Earn share scheme which allows you to buy Tesco shares in the future at a discount.
• Retirement savings plan (pension) - save up to 5% and Booker will match your contribution.
• Life Assurance - You are covered for death in service life cover of up to three times annual pay
• Health and Wellbeing support and resources including our 24/7, confidential Employee Assistance Programme and Virtual GP for you and your family.
• A great holiday package

Apply now >