Category Manager
About The Business
Playgro is a globally recognised brand specialising in innovative baby and infant products, with a strong presence across international retail markets. With a focus on understanding consumer needs, developing quality products and building strong retail partnerships, Playgro continues to identify opportunities for growth across domestic and international markets. As the business continues to evolve, there is an exciting opportunity to strengthen its category management capability and further drive commercial performance, product innovation and strategic growth.
About the role
The Category Manager role is pivotal in bringing together the broader commercial team, taking ownership of category strategy, commercial insights, product performance and portfolio optimisation across domestic and international markets. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining 1–3 year category line plans and channel strategies across grocery, mass retail, pharmacy and e-commerce, using POS data, market intelligence, competitor activity and consumer insights to identify growth opportunities and inform commercial decisions. You will lead category reviews, SKU productivity analysis and range rationalisation, making recommendations on product performance, ranging opportunities and portfolio optimisation.
Working closely with Sales, you will support major retailer presentations, category reviews and commercial negotiations, translating data into compelling insights that strengthen retail partnerships and drive category growth. The role will work closely with Operations and Supply Chain through the S&OP process, managing product transitions, SKU phase-outs and inventory risks. You will also monitor consumer feedback, online ratings and product reviews to identify improvement opportunities and feed valuable insights back into future product development. Leveraging data from Chemist Warehouse, Big W, Circana across the UK and Netherlands, alongside market intelligence platforms and AI-enabled research tools, you will play a key role in shaping category strategy and driving sustainable commercial growth.
Skills & Experience
We are seeking an established Category Manager or commercially strong Product/Category Specialist with approximately 5–7 years' experience, ideally within baby, infant, pharmacy, health or broader consumer products.
You will have strong analytical and commercial skills, advanced Excel capability and experience interpreting POS data, sales trends and category performance. Familiarity with market intelligence platforms such as Circana, NielsenIQ and Quantium is highly regarded, with the ability to translate data, shopper insights and competitor analysis into actionable commercial recommendations.
You will also bring experience in category strategy, SKU rationalisation, range optimisation, NPD, pricing and margin management, with an understanding of S&OP and inventory management. Confidence presenting to retail buyers and influencing stakeholders is essential, along with familiarity with AI tools and market research platforms.
How to apply
Sound like you? Hit APPLY NOW or reach out to Sarah Hay for a confidential discussion
**Please note that Six Degrees have been retained on this search and any direct application will be sent to Six Degrees for review**
Six Degrees Executive acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and live. We are also committed to equal opportunity and strive to promote diversity, inclusion, belonging, flexibility, and accessibility in all that we do.
Should you require assistance in your interactions with us or through a recruitment process, please let us know so we can provide adjustments for you.
Playgro is a globally recognised brand specialising in innovative baby and infant products, with a strong presence across international retail markets. With a focus on understanding consumer needs, developing quality products and building strong retail partnerships, Playgro continues to identify opportunities for growth across domestic and international markets. As the business continues to evolve, there is an exciting opportunity to strengthen its category management capability and further drive commercial performance, product innovation and strategic growth.
About the role
The Category Manager role is pivotal in bringing together the broader commercial team, taking ownership of category strategy, commercial insights, product performance and portfolio optimisation across domestic and international markets. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining 1–3 year category line plans and channel strategies across grocery, mass retail, pharmacy and e-commerce, using POS data, market intelligence, competitor activity and consumer insights to identify growth opportunities and inform commercial decisions. You will lead category reviews, SKU productivity analysis and range rationalisation, making recommendations on product performance, ranging opportunities and portfolio optimisation.
Working closely with Sales, you will support major retailer presentations, category reviews and commercial negotiations, translating data into compelling insights that strengthen retail partnerships and drive category growth. The role will work closely with Operations and Supply Chain through the S&OP process, managing product transitions, SKU phase-outs and inventory risks. You will also monitor consumer feedback, online ratings and product reviews to identify improvement opportunities and feed valuable insights back into future product development. Leveraging data from Chemist Warehouse, Big W, Circana across the UK and Netherlands, alongside market intelligence platforms and AI-enabled research tools, you will play a key role in shaping category strategy and driving sustainable commercial growth.
Skills & Experience
We are seeking an established Category Manager or commercially strong Product/Category Specialist with approximately 5–7 years' experience, ideally within baby, infant, pharmacy, health or broader consumer products.
You will have strong analytical and commercial skills, advanced Excel capability and experience interpreting POS data, sales trends and category performance. Familiarity with market intelligence platforms such as Circana, NielsenIQ and Quantium is highly regarded, with the ability to translate data, shopper insights and competitor analysis into actionable commercial recommendations.
You will also bring experience in category strategy, SKU rationalisation, range optimisation, NPD, pricing and margin management, with an understanding of S&OP and inventory management. Confidence presenting to retail buyers and influencing stakeholders is essential, along with familiarity with AI tools and market research platforms.
How to apply
Sound like you? Hit APPLY NOW or reach out to Sarah Hay for a confidential discussion
**Please note that Six Degrees have been retained on this search and any direct application will be sent to Six Degrees for review**
Six Degrees Executive acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and live. We are also committed to equal opportunity and strive to promote diversity, inclusion, belonging, flexibility, and accessibility in all that we do.
Should you require assistance in your interactions with us or through a recruitment process, please let us know so we can provide adjustments for you.
Share this job
-
Back to Job Details
- Contract Type permanent
- Reference BH-38298
- Industry
-
Salary$130000 - $180000 per annum
-
Contact Name
Sarah Hay
Category Manager
Job Application
Found 0 job