Category Controller

Are you an experienced commercial leader with the ability to shape category strategy and deliver sustainable growth? Do you thrive on leading high-performing buying and trading teams while influencing senior stakeholders across a complex business? Are you looking for the opportunity to take full ownership of a major category portfolio within a market-leading retail and wholesale business? MacGregor Black are partnering with a leading UK retail group on the search for a Category Controller. This is a permanent role based in North Yorkshire. This is a pivotal leadership position responsible for defining and delivering category strategy across a significant commercial portfolio. You'll lead a team of Category Managers and Category Assistants, driving commercial performance through strategic sourcing, supplier partnerships, pricing, promotional planning and category development. Working cross-functionally with Finance, Supply Chain and Operations, you'll influence key business decisions while maintaining a relentless focus on customer, profitability and operational excellence. This is an opportunity to make a genuine commercial impact within a large, fast-paced and highly ambitious organisation. Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing category team, creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Own category P&L, delivering sales, margin and profitability targets.
• Develop and execute category strategies that drive commercial growth and competitive advantage.
• Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships, negotiating commercially advantageous agreements.
• Deliver customer-focused ranging, pricing and promotional strategies that maximise value and enhance the customer proposition.
• Work closely with Finance to leverage commercial insight, identify opportunities and improve business performance.
• Ensure effective supply chain management, stock availability and wastage control across the category.
• Drive operational excellence, ensuring compliance, governance and food safety standards are consistently achieved.
• Analyse market trends, customer behaviour and competitor activity to inform strategic decision making.
• Influence senior stakeholders across multiple business functions to deliver business objectives. What We're Looking For:
• Significant experience in a senior Buying, Trading or Category leadership role within retail, wholesale or FMCG.
• Demonstrable success leading large commercial teams and developing future talent.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven ownership of category P&L and financial performance.
• Excellent negotiation skills with experience delivering significant commercial agreements.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate data into commercial decisions.
• Experience developing long-term category strategies and delivering measurable business growth.
• Deep understanding of merchandising, pricing, supply chain and commercial operations.
• Confident stakeholder manager with the ability to influence at executive level.
• Strategic thinker with a track record of delivering transformational change within a trading environment. Salary: £85-90k For more information, please contact Alice Redmond.