Junior Category Manager

About the Role: We are looking for a commercially minded and product-focused Junior Category Manager to join the Scruffs team. Working closely with the Category Managers, you'll help manage and develop the Scruffs and GreatStar product portfolio across workwear and hand tools. Combining commercial analysis with hands on product development, you'll support everything from market research and range planning through to new product development, launches and ongoing performance. You'll take direct ownership of designated categories and tasks, while supporting the Category Managers on broader range and commercial strategy. This is a great opportunity for someone currently working in buying, merchandising, product or category who is ready to take the next step and grow into a broader category role. If so, we’d love to meet you.

Key Responsibilities:

Category & Range Management

• Support the Category Managers in developing and delivering the category strategy across clothing, footwear, accessories and hand tools.

• Analyse category, customer and product performance to identify growth opportunities and risks.

• Contribute to range reviews, including recommendations for new products, extensions, discontinuations and pricing.

• Help maintain a clear and commercially balanced product architecture across good, better and best propositions.

• Monitor product lifecycle performance and support decisions around core, new, seasonal and discontinued lines.

• Understand the needs of different customers, channels and markets and help ensure the range remains relevant across each.

Product Development

• Support the development of new products from initial concept through to launch.

• Coordinate with the Product Development Manager to maintain the critical paths, ensuring key milestones are tracked and actions followed through.

• Contribute to product benchmarking to ensure new products deliver the right balance of performance, quality, design and value.

• Help prepare product briefs, business cases and technical requirements for new product development.

• Own packaging and labelling requirements, briefing content to suppliers and checking and approving artwork/content before production.

Commercial, Market & Competitor Analysis

• Review trading performance and highlight key trends, risks and opportunities.

• Monitor competitor ranges, pricing, product launches and promotional activity.

• Turn sales and market data into clear, actionable recommendations

• Research wider market, consumer and product trends relevant to our categories.

• Support research into new customers, channels and international markets.

• Monitor customer reviews, identifying areas for improvement.

Product Launch & Sales Support

• Work closely with Sales and Marketing to support successful product launches.

• Provide clear product information, features, benefits and commercial selling points.

• Prepare presentations, launch materials and product training.

• Help prepare product ranges, samples and supporting information for customer meetings.

• Support customer-specific range and product analysis where required.

What We’re Looking For:

We're looking for someone who is commercially curious, organised and genuinely interested in product.

This could suit someone working as an Assistant Buyer, Junior Buyer, Buying Assistant, Assistant Merchandiser, Product Coordinator or Category Executive who is looking for their next step.

• Experience within buying, category management, merchandising, product development or a similar commercial product role. • An interest in clothing, tools, or consumer products.

• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with sales and product data.

• Good commercial awareness, including an understanding of sales, cost, pricing and margin.

• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills are essential.

• Highly organised, proactive and able to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Confidence working with different departments, suppliers and stakeholders.