We’re looking for a Category Supply Manager to come and join our team.
What you’ll be doing:
You’ll support senior supply chain management in achieving business targets. This will include:
Leading best practice across a working group to achieve availability, cost and service to ensure departmental targets are met and exceeded.
Delivering outstanding customer service whilst working within the company framework and objectives
Representing Supply Chain in promotional, range change and natural work team meetings to ensure data capture and necessary input from Supply Chain.
Challenging and improving the business processes and systems, completing projects, tracking and reporting the resulting benefits.
Key Results Areas
Availability
To manage the product supply processes to ensure all orders are placed accurately and timely to minimise customer impacts
To ensure DC stock-holding and inbound plans support delivered sales to ensure maximum order fulfillment .
To ensure forecasts and supplier orders are accurate and timely for all lines to drive full availability.
To ensure forecast processes are correct and systems reflect anticipated demand to plan for major spikes.
To resolve or escalate all supplier performance issues impacting availability.
To assist in the management of total business unit stock and availability to identify any under-performing areas and investigate and take action within the category as appropriate.
To manage seasonal uplifts and seasonal system inputs to ensure maximum availability and efficient usage of the system, ensuring that stock-holding is kept in line with budget / AOP.
To lead and support Category Management with supplier meetings, to produce reporting packs and recommendations for improvement and ensure full root cause analysis is completed with the appropriate action to resolve
Manage range change activity from discontinued SKUs to new line introduction – ensuring the working and steering groups have timely information ensuring reporting to the business is clear, any issues highlighted well in advance to budget (stock)
Cost
To review replenishment parameters with suppliers that will minimise supply chain costs. (E.g.: ordering frequency, vehicle drop size, route to market, order multiples) and implement improvements with suppliers.
Communication
To communicate to all relevant external and internal teams on all availability issues with action taken to resolve any issues that may impact sales or service.
To work closely with the Commercial teams to identify areas to drive sales, reduce stock and improve availability.
To identify and implement agreed process improvements.
What we’re looking for
Significant Previous experience in Product Supply / Logistics (stock management or forecasting).
Experience of fast moving or complex Supply models preferable
Ability to manage self through proven prioritisation and ability to cope with peaks in workload both increase and decrease.
Ability to work in a diverse supply chain environment (i.e., constant changing environment).
High level of analytical and system skills; Intermediate Excel skills, PC literate.
Good questioning skills – ability to challenge constructively.
Listening skills - to understand potential impacts on product supply and determine corrective course of action
Decision-making skills – ability to escalate when appropriate.
Ability to forward plan – for promotions / range reviews and manage self to accommodate when workload increases/decreasing.
Good communication skills – can give information without being prompted, produces information that can add value to the business and understands when issues impacting business needs to be communicated and knows how to do this in a constructive manner
Ability to communicate with stakeholders at various levels of seniority across the business
Ability to work in a pressurised daily routine environment – able to react to changes in daily routines and can prioritise self without impacting own workload or team.
Ability to prioritise and methodically structure own workload
Ability to adhere to defined processes and procedures – can also design and implement improvements to processes
Has a "can-do" attitude
What can we offer you?
You’ll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us.
We’ll also equip you with a benefits package that includes:
Competitive bonus
Save-as-you-earn scheme
Private Medical and Life Assurance
Enhanced contributory pension scheme
Colleague discount
Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme
Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.
You’ll work from our Support Centre in Watford, where our Supply Chain team are based, along with our other support functions. We recognise the value of bringing our teams together to collaborate, support each other and build on our amazing culture. We are also encouraging our teams to work flexibly, with a blend of remote / office working.
About Us:
Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues.
But it is the Wickes’ culture that is considered its best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.
Please contact us here if you require any adjustments within the application process. If you require any reasonable adjustments at the interview stage you will have an opportunity to inform us when we invite you to interview. Please note, this link is only for reasonable adjustments required - general enquiries, or direct CV applications cannot be accepted via this form
