Holland & Barrett have an ambitious strategy to launch a series of new wellness products and services to customers. This is an exciting time for H&B and the Head of Trading: Food role is crucial in ensuring they deliver to their roadmap and plans. They’ve transformed their Global Food Strategy and now seek a highly experienced commercial leader to lead the UK&I Food Category Trading team. Working with the UK&I Commercial Trading Director, you will be responsible for driving the commercial success of their Food category, with a primary focus on maximizing revenue and growth targets. This is a huge opportunity to help transform the team, approach to trading and ways of working. A growth mindset is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- P&L Accountability: Ensuring commercial and customer targets are delivered.
- Strategic Trading: Oversee trading strategies within the Food Category team for the UK&I market, focusing on maximizing commercial targets.
- Range Selection: Using our existing Global Catalogue, select brands and products for the UK&I market, considering market trends, customer preferences, and commercial viability.
- Market Review: Conduct regular market reviews to identify emerging trends, competitor activities, and pricing dynamics to inform trading decisions and strategies.
- Collaborate with the global food product development team: Work to identify new and emerging brands, categories, and propositions that deliver first-to-market customer-centric innovation and services.
- Collaborate closely with other cross-functional teams to align trading strategies with overall business objectives.
- Deliver strong, sustainable supplier relationships.
- Managing the full product lifecycle: Via data-driven category reviews, to agreed financial KPI's and timescales.
- Lead the Food Trading team: Develop and coach the Food Category team.
Key Requirements:
- Minimum of 5+ years of experience in food trading, recent Food Retail experience is essential, Direct to Consumer and International experience is an advantage.
- Proven leadership and stakeholder management experience in a fast-paced commercial environment.
- Confident using insights and data to drive action and improve commercial trading performance.
- Experience of operating within an omnichannel environment, with a significant focus on driving Digital performance being advantageous.
- A collaborative and can-do approach is essential. Someone who is also willing and able to get involved from an operational perspective when required.
- Highly numerate and analytical with experience of delivering commercial targets.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Previous experience of delivering strategy and budget management in a retail environment. Experience in managing multiple direct reports and indirectly influencing supporting functions.
- Understanding of sourcing and procuring high-quality, sustainable and healthy food products that meet the nutritional needs of customers.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations.
- A personal interest in food innovation and excellent knowledge of global food trends is essential.